MadSci Network: Zoology |
I am not from your part of the world so I can only give you a general answer to your question and cannot refer to the particular kinds of animals you see. The mobile animals (such as crabs, snails and sea stars) *may* be able to move to deeper water, or to areas which do not get covered by the sand. How many animals could do this would depend on how quickly the sand was washed in, and how large an area it covered. Most of these animals would die if buried for any length of time (say, more than a few hours or days). Some snails can hibernate, so might be able to survive, but I haven't heard of crabs and sea stars doing this. Many of the attached animals (anemones, barnacles and tube worms) would be killed, and for the same reasons as the mobile animals; they would not be able to feed or breathe properly. Again, some may be able to hibernate and survive. Bryozoans ("moss animals") may be able to do this. Also some anemones seem to be able to tolerate burial for at least a while. On one shore I studied I found a group of several large anemones which were buried regularly for days or weeks but were obviously very old and very healthy. Anemones can go for long periods (several months) without feeding and, if the sand is reasonably coarse, might still get enough oxygen. So it is quite likely that much of the life recolonises the shore during the winter.