How does temperature affect the amount of dissolved oxygen in water?
Temperature is important because it directly affects the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. Dissolved oxygen is important for fish and other organisms that live in the water and require oxygen to live. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen are inversely related to each other. That means that as temperature increases, the amount of dissolved oxygen decreases; and as temperature decreases, the amount of dissolved oxygen increases. Thus, an inverse relationship describes a situation in which a change in one thing (e.g. temperature) causes something else (e.g. dissolved oxygen) to change in the opposite direction. Does cooler water contain more or less dissolved oxygen than warmer water? As previously mentioned, trout prefer cold water over warm water. Would you expect to find more trout in the streams of northern New Mexico or in the Rio Grande River in southern Texas? Map showing the location of the Rio Grande River.
