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Temperature and salinity not only set limits on the spatial distribution of bivalves but also affect every aspect of biology, including feeding, reproduction, growth, respiration, osmoregulation and parasite‐disease interactions (see details in Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12). When it comes to distribution on a large geographic scale, it is generally recognised that temperature plays a more important role than salinity. The synergistic effect of temperature and salinity, acting in concert with other environmental variables such as water depth, substrate type, wave action, food availability, water turbidity and the occurrence of competitors, predators and disease, can have more profound consequences than either factor acting alone. Geographical distribution is also governed by hydrographic barriers to larval dispersal, such as oceanic currents, confluences, gyres and surface water stratification.