-------------- Abiotic Factors affecting Marine life --------------
Diagnostic task
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What is the difference between abiotic and biotic factors?
Make a list of biotic factors that exist in a marine habitat?
List some abiotic factors that exist in a marine habitat?
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Sand, temperature, light, wave energy, nutrients, moisture,
tides, oxygen, pH, wind, water, salinity, nitrogenous waste
(Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate)
Background Information
1. Many invisible factors have enormous influences on the health and
distribution of marine organisms. Today you will discover 6 of them.
2. Marine organisms have evolved to cope with such specific abiotic
conditions. Even the slightest change can lead to stress or even death.
Other abiotic factors naturally fluctuate with respiration or waste
production. These factors rely on chemical processes to balance them.
3. Example - What would happen if you put a freshwater fish into a
saltwater environment? – Dehydrate – freshwater within the body would
move from inside the body to try to dilute the higher concentration of salt
outside the body and eventually kill the fish. Conversely – saltwater fish’s
cells would explode, as it hasn’t evolved to deal with the significant
change of abiotic factors.
Task – The following abiotic factors exist in marine habitats yet we cannot see
them. Use the data collection sheet to compare the abiotic factors below.
 Salinity
 pH
 Dissolved Oxygen
 Temp
 Ammonia
 Nitrate
o Remember - the slightest change can affect an organisms health.
Reflection Questions
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Of the abiotic factors tested, which would be of highest concern to an
organism moving from a marine ecosystem to a freshwater ecosystem or
vice versa?
Which would be of least concern?
Did your tests results reveal a need for water maintenance in the fish tank
when compared to the water quality in the Jawbone habitat? Explain your
observations?
Abiotic factors are diverse and complex. They will have the same
influential affect on an organisms niche as biotic factors.