BAT 213:

MARINE AND COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS

LECTURE 6
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE:
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE
• Water Loss
• Wave Action
• Temperature Fluctuation
• Salinity Fluctuation
• Fluctuation of Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide
and pH
• Range of Illumination
• Predation; and
• Immersion
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE: Water Loss

• Most are aquatic organisms; when

exposed to air may loose water
through evaporation. May die of
dehydration;
• Organisms must have means to
reduce water loss;
• Danger of dying most severe if also
exposed to sun and wind;
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE: Water Loss
• Water loss can be fatal in many
ways:
– Disturbances of metabolism resulting in
increasing conc. of internal fluids;
– Asphyxia;
• Organisms require continuous current of water
over gills for adequate gas exchange;
• Those that can temporarily survive in air need
film of water over respiratory surfaces;
• In fish, when not supported by water, the gill
lamellae collapse and unable to function
adequately.
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE: Wave Action
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE: Wave Action
• Enormous forces transmitted to shore by
breaking waves;
• May contain stones, sand etc.;
• When waves churn beach deposit, burrowing
organisms in danger of being crushed;
• Dislodgement;
• Continuous wave action presents difficulties
for settlement and attachment of spores and
larvae, and may prevent colonization except
in crevices and sheltered parts.
 SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE:
Temperature Fluctuation
• During low tide, wide and rapid
changes in temperature;
• Strong sunshine produces high
temperature on exposed shore;
• Shallow pools on tropical coasts may
have temperatures as high as 50oC;
• In temperate countries intertidal
organisms may be exposed to severe
frosts;
Small tide pool
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE:
Salinity Fluctuation
• Organisms may be exposed to low
salinity due to heavy rain;
• Tidal pools may have very high
salinity due to evaporation
• Increased salinity and raised
temperature usually occur
together.
Small tide pool
 SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE:
Fluctuation of Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide
and pH

• Occur in shore water in association

with photosynthesis and bacterial
activities;
• In bright light photosynthesis in
small pools raise O2 content but
decrease CO2;
 SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE:
Range of Illumination
• Varies widely with rise and fall of tide;
• When tide recedes, shore directly exposed to
light;
• At high tide, illumination much reduced;
• Inadequate light one of factors limiting
downward spread of some algae;
• Direct exposure to light good for plant growth
but high intensity may be lethal to many red
algae;
• Very strong sunlight bad for organisms due to
combined effects of radiation, heating and
drying.
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE: Predation

• Exposed to two sets of predators;

– Study in South Wales reported
oystercatchers (Haematopus
ostralegus) can eat few hundred
cockles per day
• In other areas, during high tide,
more bivalves taken by flatfish than
by waders,
SOME PROBLEMS OF SHORE LIFE: Immersion

• Majority shore animals utilize oxygen

dissolved in seawater, but few are air-
breathing;
– Some evolved from land-form eg. Insects Petrobius
and Lipura and gastropod Otina and Leucophytia
– Others evolved from marine forms where respiratory
organs adapted to absorb atmospheric air eg.
amphipod Orchestia and periwinkles Littorina sp.
• Too long immersion may be fatal for
both.