Far from being sandy deserts, some of our sandy environments have a surprising wealth of life. These areas are home to a range of tiny plants and animals. Many small animals can live in the spaces between the sand grains while large animals hide beneath the sand. Scientific surveys have shown that these sandy environments can have some of the highest ever-recorded levels of diversity in the sea anywhere in the world, with at one location over 600 different species being found within 10 square metres.