Help with abiotic features of marine ecosystem

[Harrison]

Hi all,

I need some good info on all the abiotic components of marine ecosystems. Can anyone recommend a really good resource?

Thanks all,

[Izzy]

Hey Harrison,
First, you should think about the word "abiotic" - it means "without life". Therefore abiotic factors are things like:

Physical forces - waves, amount of light, pressure, temperature
Chemistry - what ions are present in the water, in what concentrations, salinity, etc.
Geology - what sorts of sediments are present? What are the chemical compositions of those sediments? Are they larger rocks, or tiny particles?
Is there Ice present?

Basically, for a good introductory online resource, look at http://marinebio.org/Oceans/

After that, there are some awesome "Introductory Oceanography" textbooks that will help you out.

Additionally, google is a great resource. Now that you have a jumping point, you can definitely find better information.

Also, you should remember that the marine ecosystem functions because of BOTH abiotic AND biotic factors - they work together to create the ecosystem. You should think about how different abiotic conditions can shape what kinds of life are present, and also how different life forms can influence abiotic factors.

Good luck!