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System-wide Monitoring Program
Water Temperature Knowledge of water temperature is important because temperature is a critical factor in determining where marine organisms live and how well they thrive there. For example, each species of phytoplankton has an optimal temperature for survival. Growth rates of estuarine plants and cold-blooded animals generally increase with temperature, up to the thermal optimum. Shifts in temperature cause variations in phytoplankton abundance and species composition. Temperature also affects the solubility of oxygen in water. Dissolved oxygen is critical for the survival of aquatic organisms that use it in respiration (just as we do). As water temperature increases, the solubility of oxygen decreases. For example, fresh sterile water at 0C (32F) can contain up to 14.6 mg of oxygen per liter of water, but at 20C (68F) it can hold a maximum of only 9.2 mg of oxygen per liter. [One milligram (mg) of a substance is equal to one-one thousandth of a gram. There are about 28 grams in an ounce.] Therefore, variations in temperature can drastically affect estuarine organisms. |
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