Final answer:
The factors that limit an ocean fish population include availability of sunlight, ocean water temperature, predation by larger fish, and oxygen levels in the water. These elements can each affect the growth, abundance, or distribution of the fish population.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of biology, a limiting factor refers to an environmental condition or resource that restricts the growth, abundance, or distribution of a population within an ecosystem. In the case of a fish population in the ocean, all the options given could potentially serve as limiting factors.
A) Sunlight could affect the growth of phytoplankton, the primary source of food for many fish species, therefore determining their abundance.
B) The temperature of the ocean water can directly influence fish metabolism and reproduction, thereby impacting their population.
C) Predation by larger fish naturally regulates the number of fish in a population.
D) Oxygen levels in the water, determined by water temperature and salinity, influence fish respiration and survival.
Each of these factors can constrain the fish population's growth if they become unfavorable.
Learn more about limiting factors