Final answer:
The question involves understanding the relationship between the population of fish and the water's temperature, which is a mathematical concept often depicted through models showing how these variables correlate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to how the population of fish in a certain part of the ocean changes as a function of the water's temperature. This type of question typically involves creating or interpreting a mathematical model that shows the relationship between two variables: the population of fish (usually in thousands) and the temperature of the water (in degrees Celsius). Since the information provided suggests a correlation between unusually good weather, which often corresponds to changes in water temperature, and changes in the price and quantity of salmon, we can infer that water temperature may affect fish populations in various ways.
It's important to consider that this relation might not be straightforward; that is, lower temperatures do not always lead to an increase or decrease in population density. Environmental factors like temperature, indeed, have critical roles in ecological systems, but the relationship complexity must be analyzed within the specific context provided by empirical data or models.