Light - Light is a key limiting factor in all aquatic habitats.  Light regulates photosynthesis, which is the process that allows plants to produce organic matter from carbon dioxide. 

Temperature - Water temperature affects many chemical and biological processes, from the degradation of toxic chemicals to cellular respiration to the migration patterns of fish.

Dissolved Oxygen - The amount of oxygen contained in water defines the living conditions for oxygen-requiring (aerobic) aquatic organisms

Salinity - Salinity is the mass fraction of salts in water. A key factor determining organism distribution in estuaries.

Nutrients - Nutrients are the essential building blocks for plant and animal growth.

Hydrodynamic Setting - Physical actions such as waves, tides and current that mix coastal waters and bottom sediments.

Habitat Type - The location and environmental conditions in which a particular organism normally lives such as seagrass bed or marsh.