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Are the cells of marine animals and flora equipped with special ion exchange pumps to mitigate the effects of a saline-rich environment?

Or have the cell's membranes adapted through structural changes to counter the osmotic forces?

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This 1969 Steensland paper seems to suggest that the membranes of halophiles are stabilized by sodium ions and they rapidly denature at lower-salt conditions (2.2 vs. 4.3 M). Presumably the high ionic strength solution would be present on both sides of the membrane, in and out. – Nick T Dec 14 '11 at 23:25
@NickT I think that's definitely worthy of an answer, if you want. – jonsca Dec 14 '11 at 23:30

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This 1969 Steensland paper seems to suggest that the membranes of halophiles are stabilized by sodium ions and they rapidly denature at lower-salt conditions (2.2 vs. 4.3 M). The protein composition of the membrane was generally acidic, stabilized by all the Na+.

As far as what the role of the halophile membrane is in sheltering the cell from the high ionic strength solution seems left unsaid.

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