Figure 4.12 Adaptations to fluctuating salt environments. (a) Pools of water on the rocky coasts of La Jolla Cove in San Diego, California, are filled with a mixture of rainwater and seawater from waves. Evaporation can cause high concentrations of salts and other solutes. (b) The tiny copepod Tigriopus, shown here carrying eggs, is able to handle the widely fluctuating solute concentrations in its environment by adjusting its solute concentrations through the production of amino acids.

Photos by (a) Peter Bennett/Ambient Images; (b) Morgan Kelly.