Marine Biology

Ability to tolerate anoxic condition

For the survival in the anoxic muddy sediments, these muddy shore organisms must either be adapted to live under anaerobic conditions or they must have some means to bringing the overlying surface water with oxygen down to them. For this the muddy shore organisms are known to construct burrows or extending their siphons to the surface, which brings in oxygen rich water as well as food. Hence, most of the muddy shore organisms are of filter feeding type. Some other organisms are able to live in the anoxic subsurface sediments by possessing the oxygen carriers such as haemoglobin in its blood, which helps the animals to live in a very low oxygen environment (e.g. Anadora granosa).