Marine Biology

1. Respiration and Desiccation

 Respiration and Desiccation

When the tide goes out, exposed organisms could dry out and/or die. They must have some adaptations, either morphological (form), physiological (internal chemistry), or behavioural that will ensure water retention and their ability to respire. Some of these adaptations include:

· Moving out of the area if the animal is mobile. Sessile organisms don’t have this option . Sessile organisms may select a suitable environment for    attachment. This may include a tide pool, the underside of a rock, a depression in the rocks or sand, or under an algal canopy.

· Aggregation helps reduce exposed surface area (sea anemones) and helps retain a film of water to prevent desiccation.

· Using discarded shells and sediment as a cover to reduce exposure (sea anemones, sea urchins).

· Closing up the shell (bivalves, barnacles).