... animals on rocks are exposed to air. They must develop special adaptations to survive until the tide comes in again. When high tides aren't very big, plants and animals which live high on the shore may be exposed to air for several days. Organisms which live very low on the shore may only occasionally be exposed to air. Rocky shores as ecosystems Many animals and plants live on rocky shores in the area between high and low tide called the intertidal zone. These organisms must be able to cope with problems of not one environment, but two. They are pounded by waves, exposed to extremes of temperature and salinity, and flooded by sea water and exposed to drying air twice every 24 hours. They also have to avoid being eaten by birds, molluscs and crabs at low tide, and by fish and other marine life at high tide. Several distinct habitats exist in ...

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