Abiotic Factors
The significant abiotic factors of the Pacific Ocean are density, movement, nutrient availability, rainfall, salinity, sunlight, and temperature.
The salinity of water is a measurement of the total ammount of dissolved salt in water, the global ocean average is 35 parts of salt per thousand parts of water. Salinity decreases the freezing point of water so that it doesn’t actually freeze, and it affects water density because salt water is already more dense than fresh water.
The amount of sunlight that living organisms receive is a very critical factor in their survival because it provides better vision, a source of energy for photosynthesis, and for producers to be able to act as the base of the underwater food chain.
The temperature of water is also a very important limiting factor in a living organism's survival because it impacts chemical processes, physiological function, and water density. If certain factors are impacted too dramatically it could result in the death of marine life.
Together, both salinity and temperature determine water density. More dense water masses sink toward the bottom while less dense water masses rise toward the top. Therefore, density controls water circulation and the arrangement, or the placement, of the things that are in the water.
The amount of sunlight that living organisms receive is a very critical factor in their survival because it provides better vision, a source of energy for photosynthesis, and for producers to be able to act as the base of the underwater food chain.
The temperature of water is also a very important limiting factor in a living organism's survival because it impacts chemical processes, physiological function, and water density. If certain factors are impacted too dramatically it could result in the death of marine life.
Together, both salinity and temperature determine water density. More dense water masses sink toward the bottom while less dense water masses rise toward the top. Therefore, density controls water circulation and the arrangement, or the placement, of the things that are in the water.