In order to survive under such harsh conditions, coastal species have developed a number of adaptations. These include: the possession of succulent tissue; the attachment to rock faces by means of special structures such as holdfasts (which act like roots, but which do not absorb water) and through a flat body; air-filled tissue for buoyancy (found in submerged plants); daily and seasonal migrations up and down the shore to spawn; and the ability to remove excess salt from their body via salt glands.

Plants able to withstand high salt concentrations are known as halophytes. An example is the Tamarisk tree, which is able to perform its own ?reverse osmosis? by eliminating salt from pores in its leaves. In fact, as a result of this process, if you observed this plant in the early morning, it would seem like it were almost crying.