Age dependent physiological tolerances explain population dynamics and distribution in the intertidal zone: A study with porcelain crabs.

Population dynamics and their response to environmental stressors have been widely studied in intertidal organisms. However, how these dynamics and responses change with animal age have been largely ignored to date. Traditionally, it is assumed that younger organisms are more sensitive than adults to environmental stressors; under this perspective it could be predicted that fully grown organisms should be able to occupy the harsh upper limit of their intertidal habitat.