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A most important abiotic factor is the light. It is need for algae and phytoplankton to photosynthesis and then pass energy along the trophic levels. The light from the sun can only reach certain depths so there are several ways the producers catch the light. One way is that they have different types of light catching pigments. Another is that they have larger surface areas on their blades to absorb more light. Plankton have certain mechanisms that allow them to float. Despite all these ways of catching light algae species still have to compete for space to best catch light. In the ocean, temperature ranges depend on the season and depth of the water. Usually as the latitud