The flexibility of plant cell walls is characterized by bulk modulus of elasticity (ϵ); which is an important component of how plants maintain adequate water continent. For example, plants with rigid tissues (high ϵ) that accumulate solutes may better tolerate drought or saline soils. This concept is termed the ‘cell water conservation hypothesis.’ While it is generally held that marine plants have higher ϵ, no study has considered that notion across a number of species residing in marine and coastal habitats. The finding from this study show that aquatic marine plants do maintain rigid tissues with lower osmotic potentials (relative to freshwater plants), and support the tenets of the cell water conservation hypothesis

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