Question

How do temperature changes affect living organisms in water?

Answer 1

Certain organisms can adjust to the fluctuation in the temperature of their surroundings. These are called poikilothermic organisms. These are the organisms that are majorly affected by any temperature changes in the water. This is due to the following reasons:

1. The solubility of toxic material increases as temperatures rise. This is fatal to the life of the organism.
2. The solubility of dissolved oxygen decreases as temperatures increase and thereby the essential gas becomes unavailable for the survival of these organisms.
3. The metabolic and physiological activities of the organisms are dependent on the temperature of the water and any major fluctuations directly impact the health of the organism.
4. Higher temperatures result in eutrophication whereby the algal growth takes up all the dissolved oxygen and mitigates the growth of other aquatic organisms.