Factors Limiting the Productivity of Aquatic Habitats Sunlight and oxygen are most important limiting factors of the aquatic ecosystems whereas moisture and temperature are the main limiting factors of terrestrial ecosystem.

Sunlight:

• Sunlight penetration rapidly diminishes as it passes down the column of water. The depth to which light penetrates a lake determines the extent of plant distribution.

Temperature:

• The water temperature changes less rapidly than the temperature of air because water has a considerably higher specific heat than air, i.e. larger amounts of heat energy must be added to or taken away from water to raise or lower its temperature.
• Since water temperatures are less subject to change, the aquatic organisms have narrow temperature tolerance limit.
• As a result, even small changes in water temperature are a great threat to the survival of aquatic organisms when compared to the changes in air temperatures in the terrestrial organisms.

Source: Environment by Shankar IAS