Page 17 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

osmosis: a process where molecules of a liquid solvent move through a membrane (filter) from a region of low concentration to a region of high concentration of solute.
 Marine fish are able to resist the osmotic effect of salty sea water.
Sea water life
For animals and plants to be able
to survive they need to have adapted. All ocean creatures, for example, have adapted so that they can tolerate much higher concentrations of sodium than fresh water plants and animals.
Salt lake life
The high salt concentration of salt lakes makes it especially difficult for most aquatic life. However, some species of shrimp and algae can thrive, and these form the food of salt lake birds such as the flamingo of East Africa.
Desert life
Desert water and soils have a very high level of salt. Only a few species have adapted to life under such harsh conditions. One of the most common is called the saltbush. A form of eucalyptus tree has also adapted, producing a special kind of vegetation, known in Australia as “mallee”. The saltbush scrubland of America is a further example.
Coastal life
Marram grass is a salt-tolerant land plant, found worldwide, that grows on sand dunes by the coast. In tropical regions, mangrove forests thrive in salt water, often forming impenetrable coastal forests that protect the coast from the erosive energy of the waves.
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