Lichens live in the Spray Zone along most rocky shores. Lichens are actually two organisms living together in a relationship known as symbiosis. These two organisms are fungus and algae. The fungus composes the outside of the plant with a thick covering which protects the lichen from environmental extremes. The fungus also has the ability to absorb up to 35 times its weight in water, allowing precious water to be stored for use at a later time. Filaments from the fungus anchor the organism to the rock surface. The algal cells live within the fungus. The algae produces food photosynthetically feeding both itself and the fungus. Xanthoria spp. is the orange lichen shown in the image above. Can you see other lichens in this image?