Abalone - a univalve mollusk of the genus Haliotis. Abalones are harvested commercially for food consumption. The shell is lined with mother-of-pearl and used for commercial purposes.
Abductor - a type of muscle whose function is to move an appendage or body part away from the body of an animal. Abductors work antagonistically with adductors
Abiogenic - refers to things not involved with or produced by living organisms
Abiotic - refers to nonliving objects, substances or processes
Abnormal - not normal; contrary to the usual structure, position, behavior or rule
Absorptive feeder - an animal, such as a parasitic tapeworm, that absorbs digested food products through the body wall
Acanthaster - the Crown-of-Thorns starfish genus. Acanthaster planci is a voracious Indo-Pacific predator of corals
Acanthocaulus - a juvenile coral of some species that is attached to the substrate either directly or on a stalk
Accessory pigment - a photosynthetic pigment which absorbs light and transfers energy to chlorophylls during photosynthesis
Acclimation (acclimatization) - a change that occurs in an organism to allow it to tolerate a new environment
Accretion - growth by virtue of an increase in intercellular material
Acellular - describes the construction of an organism or tissue that is a mass of protoplasm which is not divided into cells, e.g., some structural parts of slime molds and fungi
Acid - a substance that increases the hydrogen ion concentration in a solution
Acid rain - the precipitation of sulfuric acid and other acids as rain. The acids form when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released during the combustion of fossil fuels combine with water and oxygen in the atmosphere
Acidic - having a pH of less than 7
Acolonial coral - a solitary coral that does not form a colony
Aconitum - a thread-like part of a coral polyp's or anemone's digestive system and employed as defensive or aggressive structures when extruded
Acropora - a genus of hard (stony) corals that contain the elkhorn and staghorn corals acrorhagus - a sac, covered with nematocysts, that protrudes from below the sweeper tentacles or on the column of certain anthozoans
Active site - a specific region of an enzyme where a substrate binds and catalysis takes place
Acuminate - a shape which gradually tapers to a point
Adaptation - changes in gene frequencies resulting from selective pressures being placed upon a population by environmental factors. This results in a greater fitness of the population to its ecological niche
Adaptive behavior - any behavior that enables an organism to adjust to a particular situation or environment
Adaptive radiation - the evolution of a single evolutionary stock into a number of different species
Adductor - a type of muscle whose function is to pull an appendage or body part inwards, towards the body of an animal
AGRRA (Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment) - an international collaboration of scientists and managers aimed at determining the regional condition of reefs in the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
Ahermatypic coral - a coral that lacks zooxanthellae and does not build reefs
Ahermatypic : non reef-building coral
alcyonarian - a soft coral of the order Alcyonacea, class Anthozoa, phylum Cnidaria. They consist of a firm body, throughout which calcareous spicules are dispersed. The surface is studded with polyps. They are closely related to the scleractinian (hard or stony) corals but lack the rigid, stony exoskeleton
Algae - unicellular, multicellular, solitary, or colonial organisms that contain chlorophyll. They lack roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds. Algae are in the Kingdom Protista
Algal bloom - a sudden spurt of algal growth that can indicate potentially hazardous changes in local water chemistry
algal galls - a response of gorgonia (Pseudoplexaura spp.) to tissue invasion by the algae, Entocladia endozoica, in Florida and Caribbean waters. The host gorgonia react to the algal filaments by producing capsules (galls) composed of skeletal elements that isolate the algae from the host tissue, at the expense of the skeletons' tensile strength and elasticity. The gorgonium readily breaks apart at the sites of the weakened skeleton.
Algal reef : a reef , usually exposed to wave action, composed of coralline algae and vermatid gastropods. They occur in forms of cups or funnels.
Algal ridge : a low ridge at the seaward margin of a reef flat, largely composed of skeletons of calcareous algae.
Algal turf - densely packed algae, usually filamentous, which rise less than one centimeter above the substratum upon which they are growing.
Allopatric species - species occupying mutually exclusive geographical areas
Amensalism - a type of symbiosis where two (or more) organisms from different species live in close proximity to one another, and where one of the members suffers as a result of the relationship while the other is unaffected by it
Almost Atoll : an atoll whose rim is less than 75 per cent complete as a circle at low tide.
Anastomose - a term that refers to coral branches which grow back together after the initial division
Anastomosis - the union or connecting of branches forming a meshwork or a network
Anemone - a cnidarian of the class Anthozoa that possesses a flexible cylindrical body and a central mouth surrounded by tentacles
Anthocaulus - a polyp that develops asexually on the skeletons of some coral species
Anthozoa : a class of Cnidaria that includes the stony corals, soft corals, sea anemones, gorgonians and corallimorpharians
Apical - relating to or located at the tip (an apex)
Apobiosis - the local death of a part of an organism
Aposematism - conspicuous warning coloration
Apron Reef : the initial stages of a fringing reef. It is discontinuous and covers a small area.
Aragonite skeleton - skeletons primarily composed of the aragonite form of calcium carbonate
Arborescent colony - a coral colony with a tree-like growth structure
Artificial reef - an artificial structure placed on the ocean floor to provide a hard substrate for sea life to colonize. Artificial reefs are constructed by sinking dense materials, such as old ships and barges, concrete ballasted tire units, concrete and steel demolition debris and dredge rock on the sea floor within designated reef sites
Ascanoid - simplest body form of sponges, with canals leading directly from the surrounding water to the interior spongocoel
Asexual reproduction - reproduction that does not involve the union of sex cells (gametes) to produce a zygote. Examples in corals are budding and fragmentation
Aspergillosis - a widespread fungal infection of Caribbean soft corals. It affects six species of sea fans and sea whips. The pathogen is Aspergillosis sydowii, a terrestrial fungus which infects gorgonia after germination of spores on the coral surface. This is followed by penetration and spread of hyphae in coral tissue, resulting in highly visible lesions which may be associated with complete loss of tissue and skeleton.
Atoll : a horseshoe or circular array of islands, capping a coral reef system perched around an oceanic volcanic seamount
Axial corallite - a corallite which forms the tip of a branch
Azooxanthellate coral - a coral which does not have symbiotic zooxanthellae in its tissues
B
Back reef: shoreward side of reef, including the area and sediments between the reefcrest/algal ridge and the land. It corresponds to the reef flat and lagoon of a barrier reefs and platform margin reef systems.
Bank - a broad elevation of the sea floor around which the water is relatively shallow but not a hazard to surface navigation
Bank reef - large reef growths, generally having irregular shape, which develop over submerged highs of tectonic or other origin and are surrounded by deeper waters.
Bank/shelf - deepwater area extending offshore from the seaward edge of the fore reef to the beginning of the escarpment where the insular shelf drops off to the deep, oceanic water. If no reef crest is present, it is the flattened platform between the fore reef and the deep ocean waters or between the intertidal zone and open ocean
Bar: an elongate submarine shoal.
Barren zone: the region of a coral reef seaward of the lower palmata zone and just landward of the buttress or mixed zone.
Barrier island - a long, usually narrow accumulation of sand, that is separated from the mainland by open water (lagoons, bays, and estuaries) or by salt marshes
Barrier reef : a long, narrow coral reef, roughly parallel to the shore and separated from it by a lagoon of considerable depth and width. It may lie a great distance from a continental coast. It is often interrupted by passes or channels.
Basal plate - lower part of the coral cup, separating the polyp from the substratum. A synonym of pedal disc
Benthic: bottom dwelling; living on or under the sediments or other substratum.
Bifacial - describes plates which have corallites on both sides
Bifurcate - a coral branch that divides into two equal branches
Biodiversity - the total diversity and variability of living things and of the systems of which they are a part. This includes the total range of variation in and variability among systems and organisms at the bioregional, ecosystem and habitat levels, at the various organismal levels down to species, populations and individuals and at the level of the population and genes
Biodiversity hot spot - an area that features exceptional concentrations of species, including many endemics. Many such hot spots also experience large habitat losses, putting these ecosystems at risk
Bioerosion - erosion of the physical/geological environment by organism activities such as boring, scraping, etching, etc.
Biogenic reef - a mound-like layered structure built by and predominantly composed of organic remains such as shells and skeletons of sedentary organisms
Bioherm - a body of rock built up by or composed mainly of sedentary organisms, e.g., hard corals, calcareous algae or mollusks, and enclosed or surrounded by rock of different origin
Biolimiting - relating to the environmental factors determining or restricting the growth of a particular life form
Black coral - black corals are colonial cnidarians in the Order Antipatharia. They are found throughout the world’s oceans, but are most common in tropical deep water habitats from 30-80 m depth. These species of black coral have rigid, erect skeletons that form branched, bush-like colonies. Black coral is commercially harvested primarily for jewelry, and may be globally threatened in many parts of the world as a result of over-harvesting
Black-band disease - a world-wide disease of corals that is characterized by a dark ring, or band, that separates apparently healthy coral tissue from freshly exposed coral skeleton.
Bleaching: the process when a coral polyp expels it's symbiotic zooxanthellae from it's body.
Bleaching index - index based on the strength and duration of local HotSpots to monitor bleaching events
Bleaching outbreaks - development of bleaching events
Bleaching stressors - environment-induced stress that results in bleaching, e.g., disease, excessive or insufficient light, increased levels of ultraviolet radiation, sedimentation, pollution, salinity changes, and increased temperatures
Blue-green algae - the former name for the blue-green bacteria, now classified as Cyanobacteria. A group of prokaryotic cells that use chlorophyll on intracytoplasmic membranes for photosynthesis. The blue green color is due to the presence of phycobiliproteins. they occur as single cells, colonies or simple filaments
Boring sponges: boring sponges chemically digest the limestone skeletons of corals during their search for food and living space..This breaks down the structure of the reef.
Boss(es): columnar, flat-topped coral-algal growth or erosion structure usually found on the upper surfaces of spurs and buttresses.
Bottlebrush branching - describes a branch with compact radial sub-branches
Branching colony - a coral growth pattern where branches are formed
Breaker zone - the area of a coral reef most exposed to breaking waves
Broadcast spawner - an organism that releases gametes directly into the sea for external fertilization
Brooder - a coral which harbors or broods developing larvae within its polyps
Brooding - the development of larvae within the gastrovascular cavity of an adult coral polyp
Brown algae - brown algae belong to the Division Phaeophycophyta, whose approximately 1,500 species are almost exclusively marine. They include the largest of the seaweeds and the kelps.
Bryozoa - an animal phylum that contains approximately 5,000 living species. They are all sessile colonial forms composed of zooids. Zooids are tubular, oval or box-like structures that contain a lophophore, which is a circular or horseshoe-shaped fold of the body wall that encircles the mouth and bears numerous ciliated tentacles. Most species form erect or encrusting colonies. They occur in many different habitats, including coral reefs
Bubblegum coral - a deep water gorgonian, Paragorgia arborea, found in the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans at depths that may exceed 1400m. It can grow to 5m in height and 8 m in width. It is called the bubblegum coral because because it is usually orange or pink in color, and has a lumpy surface texture
Budding - a type of asexual reproduction in which new individuals develop from the parent organism, forming a swelling similar in appearance to a bud, which separates from the parent as it grows; budding is a form of asexual reproduction in corals where a parent corallite forms daughter corallites
C
CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) - a molecule consisting of calcium, carbon and oxygen secreted by corals to their skeleton. It is also secreted by mollusks to form their protective shells.
Calcareous - made of calcium carbonate
Calcite - a mineral made up of a crystalline form of calcium carbonate.
Calcification - the process by which corals and calcareous algae extract calcium from seawater and produce it as calcium carbonate
Calcite skeleton - a skeleton composed of the calcite form of calcium carbonate
Calyx (pl. calices) - the upper or open end of the corallite or coral polyp cup
Capsid - the protein coat of a virus particle
Carbon compensation depth - the level in the ocean below which the solution rate of calcium carbonate exceeds its deposition rate
Carbon cycle - the cycling of carbon in the form of carbon dioxide, carbonates, organic compounds, etc., between various reservoirs, e.g., the atmosphere, the oceans, land and marine biota and, on geological time scales, sediments and rocks
Carcinogen - a chemical substance that causes cancer
CARICOMP (Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity) - a regional coral reef, seagrass and mangrove monitoring program and network involving a number of Caribbean laboratories, parks and reserves to study land-sea interaction processes in the wider Caribbean region. Twenty-seven institutions in 17 countries participate in CARICOMP
Carotenoid - any of a group of red, orange, and yellow accessory pigments of plants or algae
Catabolism - a destructive metabolic process by which organisms convert substances into excreted compounds
Catalysis - the acceleration of a chemical reaction by a catalyst.
Catalyst - a substance that accelerates a chemical reaction, but is not consumed or changed in the process
Catenation - linking of multiple copies of a macromolecule to each other
Cation - a particle that carries a positive electrical charge. The cation gets this positive charge from losing negatively charged electrons
Cay - a small, low coastal island or emergent reef of sand or coral; flat mound of sand and admixed coral fragments built upon a reef flat or just above high tide level.
Cement - the chemically precipitated calcium carbonate present in spaces within skeletons or between grains of internal sediment
Cephalopoda - a class of the phylum Mollusca that includes squids, octopods, cuttlefishes and nautili. Many species are inhabitants of coral reefs
Ceras - one of many multifunctional horn or lobe-shaped or leaf-like process on the back or side of a nudibranch mollusk (sea slug).
Chaetodontidae - a family of fishes (butterfly fish) whose number and behavior may serve as indicators of reef health
Chain transect - a linear transect where a chain is used to mark the line under study. By following the surface contour of the reef, chain transects provide data that may be used to calculate the estimated spatial index (the ratio of reef surface contour to linear distance of the reef)
CHAMP (Coral Health And Monitoring Program ) - a NOAA program whose mission is to provide services to help improve and sustain coral reef health throughout the world. Long term goals are: establish an international network of coral reef researchers for the purpose of sharing knowledge and information on coral health and monitoring; provide near real-time data products derived from satellite images and monitoring stations at coral reef areas; provide a data repository for historical data collected from coral reef areas; and add to the general fund of coral reef knowledge
Character - in taxonomy, any attribute of organisms used for recognizing, differentiating or classifying taxa chemotaxis - a unidirectional response of motile cells or organisms in which the direction of movement is affected by the gradient of a diffusible substance
Chemotrophs - organisms (usually bacteria) that derive energy from inorganic reactions; also known as chemosynthetic organisms
(CFC) - gases that can be dissociated by solar radiation, which release chlorine, which in turn destroys ozone
Chlorophyll - a green pigment present in green plants and cyanobacteria. Chlorophyll is essential in the transformation of light energy to chemical energy in photosynthesis
Chlorophyll a - the major photosynthetic pigment found in all oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms (higher plants, and red and green algae)
Chlorophyll b - the chlorophyll generally characteristic of higher plants and green algae .It is absent in other types of algae
Chlorophyll c - the chlorophyll present in brown algae, diatoms, and flagellates
Chlorophyll d - the chlorophyll present in red algae, together with chlorophyll a
Chloroplast - a disk-like organelle with a double membrane, found in some protists and all green plant cells, that contains chlorophyll and is the site of photosynthesis
Chordata - an animal phylum that includes sea squirts (tunicates), lampreys and hagfishes, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Many species of marine chordates play prominent roles in the ecology of coral reef ecosystems
Climate-induced bleaching - coral bleaching as a result of changing climate patterns, e.g., temperature
Climax - the final stage in ecological succession that is able to persist in the absence of environmental change
Cline - the gradual variation, in a character of a species, in geographical space
Cnidocyte - stinging cells of jellyfish, hydroids, sea anemones and corals.
Coalesce - to come together so as to form one whole; to fuse
Coastal area - the areas of land and sea bordering the shoreline and extending seaward through the breaker zone. Coastal areas throughout the world are under enormous environmental stress, which is caused by a wide range of factors, including pollution and the destruction and deterioration of marine habitats
Coastal reef - a coral reef occurring near and parallel to a coastline.
Coelobite - an organism that lives in the pores and spaces within a reef.
Coenenchyme - all of the mesenchymal tissue, perforated with channels, that is common to all polyps of a colonial cnidarian
Coenosarc - the living tissue of a cnidarian polyp, consisting of the outer, nonciliated epidermis and the inner, ciliated gastrodermis with the thin, acellular meoglea in between. The coenosarc connects the coral polyps of a coral colony. It spreads along the surface of the calcareous exoskeleton
Coenosteum - the common surface of corallum between calices
Coenosteum pit - the point of insertion or commencement of septa in some corals
Coenzyme - an organic nonprotein molecule that binds with the protein molecule to form the active enzyme
Coevolution - two or more organisms evolving, each in response to the other
Coliform bacteria - bacteria whose presence in water is an indicator of pollution and of potentially dangerous contamination
Collagen - the protein substance of the collagenous fibers (white fibers) of skin, tendon, bone, cartilage and all other connective tissue. Collagen also serves as skeletal support in some sponges
Collagenous - producing or containing collagen
Collagenous fiber - white connective tissue fiber that occurs in bundles. They possess a high tensile strength and make up the principal element of irregular connective tissue, tendons, and aponeuroses, and occur in the matrix of cartilage and bone tissue
Collection - an assemblage of specimens compiled and maintained for purposes of study and/or display
Collencytes - a contractile, collagen-secreting amoebocyte in sponges
Colloid - a stable suspension of particles that, though larger than in a true solution, do not settle out
Colonial coral - a coral composed of many individuals
Colonized hardbottom - a substrate formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate by reef building and other organisms. Habitats within this category have some colonization by live coral
Columella - the central structure of the calyx formed by fusion of the septa
Columnar colony - a coral colony formed into one or more columns
Commensal - having benefit for one member of a two-species association but neither positive nor negative effect on the other.
Compact branching - a growth pattern where the coral branches are close together
Confidence interval - the probability, based on statistics, that a number will be between an upper and lower limit
Conjugation - the process of genetic recombination between two bacterial or protist organisms via a cytoplasmic bridge between them, across which, genetic material is exchanged
Conservation - the political/social/economic process by which the environment is protected and resources are used wisely
Conspecific - of the same species
Consumer - an organism which must consume other organisms (living or dead) in order to satisfy its energy needs
Continental margin - the water-covered edges of continents consisting of the continental shelf, the continental slope, and the continental rise
Continental rise - the enormous wedge of sediment deposited at the base of the continental slope
Continental shelf - the shallow, near-horizontal sea floor extending from the coast to the upper continental slope
Continental slope - the sloping sea bottom of the continental margin that begins at a depth of about 100 to 150 m at the shelf edge and ends at the top of the continental rise or in a deep-sea trench
Contour - on a map or chart, a line connecting points of equal surface value
Contour interval - the difference in surface values between contours
Coral - a general term used to describe a group of cnidarians; indicates the presence of skeletal material that is embedded in the living tissue or encloses the animal altogether.
Coral assemblage - a group of corals
Coral bleaching hotspot - a region of sea surface temperature (SST) that exceeds the climatological maximum for a region by 1 deg C or more. These conditions may cause sufficient stress to coral reefs to result in coral bleaching
Coral Bleaching HotSpot monitoring program - a NOAA program that uses satellite and in situ monitoring stations to monitor high sea surface temperature events and to analyze conditions that may lead to coral bleaching
Coral growth line - a minute growth line on the outer surfaces of corals that have a calcified outer wall. The carbonate is produced by zooxanthellae which create a series of diurnal growth increments
Coral product - any living or dead specimens, parts, or derivatives, or any product containing specimens, parts, or derivatives, of any species of coral in the cnidarian Orders: Antipatharia (black corals), Scleractinia (stony corals), Gorgonacea (horny corals), Stolonifera (organpipe corals and others), Alcyanacea (soft corals), and Coenothecalia (blue coral), of the Class Anthozoa; and all species of the Order Hydrocorallina (fire corals and hydrocorals) of the Class Hydrozoa
Coral reef - a wave-resistant structure resulting from cementation processes and the skeletal construction of hermatypic corals, calcareous algae, and other calcium carbonate-secreting organisms.
Coral reef bleaching monitoring product - near real-time information derived from data either from satellite images or in situ monitoring stations at coral reef areas to help improve and sustain coral reef health throughout the world
Coral Reef Watch (CRW) - formed in 2000, NOAA's CRW maximizes NESDIS's coral reef resources by joining and building on existing NESDIS coral reef strengths under a more coordinated program. It seeks to develop a long-term coral reef monitoring system with the ability to predict coral bleaching episodes in all major U.S. coral reef areas
Coral Stress Index - an index that indicates the relative accumulated thermal stress experienced by a given coral reef
Corallimorpharia - an order of the subclass Zoantharia (Hexacorallia) of the phylum Cnidaria. They are mostly solitary species (some are colonial) that resemble true corals, but lack a calcareous skeleton
CoRViL (Coral Reef Virtual Laboratory) - a joint venture of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). This venture will provide an automated, cooperative exchange of electronic data, computer processing power and remote sensing tools for the purpose of monitoring the coral reef environment on the Great Barrier Reef. It is anticipated that this effort will eventually provide a model for monitoring physical processes at other sensitive coral reef areas throughout the world
Corymbose - describes coral colonies with horizontal interlocking branches and short upright branches
Cosmopolitan distribution - worldwide distribution within habitat limits
Costa - the extension of the septa outside the calyx into the coenosteum
Crenulate - a shape in which the edge is slightly scalloped
Crepuscular - most active at low light levels during dusk and dawn
CREWS (Coral Reef Early Warning System) - in situ NOAA meteorological and oceanographic monitoring sites that collect data continuously which are transmitted hourly via satellite to a data archival site. An automated system (hardware and software) that monitors select oceanographic and meteorological parameters and produces specialized alerts when conditions may result in environmental stresses conducive of coral bleaching. NOAA plans to expand the CREWS from the Florida Keys/Bahamian sites to many remote coral reef sites throughout the world
Critical depth - the depth at which phytoplankton photosynthesis for the water column is equal to phytoplankton respiration for the water column
Crypsis - protective camouflage coloration where the individual resembles its backgound
Cryptic - pertaining to concealment, usually in reference to color pattern or behavior (e.g., hiding in reef crevices)
Cue - in animal behavior, a signal fom one animal which acts as a stimulus to elicit a behavioral response in another. The cue may be visual, acoustic, or chemical
Cutaneous - pertaining to the skin
Cuticle - an extracellular, protective external body covering, secreted by the epidermis, of some invertebrate animals, usually composed of fibrous material, such as chitin or collagen; the waxy layer of epidermal cells of plant parts, such as leaves, stems, and fruit
Cyanide fishing - a destructive fishing technique in which sodium cyanide or some other cyanide compound is used to stun and capture coral reef fishes for the aquarium and live food trade
Cyanobacteria - photosynthetic aquatic bacteria, often called blue-green algae, but have no relationship to algae. Cyanobacteria get their name from the bluish pigment phycocyanin, which they use to capture light for photosynthesis. They also contain chlorophyll a, the same photosynthetic pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants. Not all "blue-green" bacteria are blue; some common forms are red or pink, resulting from the pigment phycoerythrin
Cycloid - having a smooth-edged margin
Cyclosystem - a system of very small tubules that links the polyps of calcareous colonial hydrozoans
Cystid - the exoskeleton and body wall of the stationary trunk of bryozoans
Cytoskeleton - the network of microtubules, microfilaments, and larger filaments that provides a eukaryotic cell with its structural support, shape, and its capacity to move and arrange its organelles within the cell
CZCS (Coastal Zone Color Scanner) - a scanning radiometer with six spectral channels centered at 0.443, 0.520, 0.550, 0.670, 0.750 and 11.5 micrometers and selected to allow measurement of ocean color and temperature, suspended sediment and chlorophyll concentrations, and ocean pollutants
D
Dactylozooid - a colonial hydrozoan polyp that possesses a large, nematocyst-bearing fishing tentacle, and functions in defense and in food capture
Dark-spots disease - a coral disease characterized by darkly pigmented areas of tissue on stony corals. At present, there is no known pathogen. The coral tissue remains intact, although at times lesions and coral tissue death are observed in the centers of the pigmented areas. Tissue loss is minimal, if present. This disease is widespread throughout the Caribbean.
Darwin Mounds - two areas of hundreds of sand and cold-water coral mounds at depths of about 1,000 m, in the northeast corner of the Rockall Trough, approximately 185 km northwest of the northwest tip of Scotland. The Darwin Mounds cover an area of approximately 100 sq. km. The tops of the mounds are covered with Lophelia pertusa corals and coral rubble
Deep fore reef - the deepest part of a coral reef; a vertical cliff beginning at a depth of about 60 m.
Deep-sea corals - stony, soft, gorgonian, black, and horny corals that inhabit the colder deep waters of continental shelves and offshore canyons, ranging from 50 -1000m+ depths. They lack zooxanthellae and may build reef-like structures or occur solitarily
Definitive host - in a parasite's life cycle, it is the host organism in which the parasite reproduces sexually
Degree Heating Week accumulation - accumulated thermal stress that coral reefs experience over a typical 12-week period
Degree Heating Week (DHW) - the NOAA satellite-derived Degree Heating Week (DHW) is an experimental product designed to indicate the accumulated thermal stress that coral reefs experience. A DHW is equivalent to one week of sea surface temperature 1 deg C above the expected summertime maximum. For example, 2 DHWs indicate one week of 2 deg C above the expected summertime maximum
Dendriform - having a structure that resembles a tree or shrub
Dendritic - branched like a tree
Denitrify - to remove nitrogen from any substance or chemical compound
Deposit feeder - an animal that feeds on nutrients in the sediments
Detritus - the particulate decomposition or disintegration products of plankton, including dead cells, cell fragments, fecal pellets, shells, and skeletons, and sometimes mineral particles in coastal waters
Detrivore - an animal that eats detritus
Dextral - right, as opposed to sinistral, or left
Diadromous species - a species which undertakes a spawning migration from ocean to river or vice versa
Diatom - a unicellular alga that consists of two interlocking valves composed of silica
Diatomaceous - pertaining to diatoms or their fossil remains
Diel - pertaining to the day-night cycle
Diffusion - the movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration
Digestion - the breakdown, by hydrolysis, of complex ingested nutrient compounds (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) into their building blocks, i.e., the conversion of food, in the alimentary canal, into soluble and diffusible products, capable of being absorbed into the circulating fluid and the cells
Dimorphism - having two different distinct forms of individuals within the same species or two different distinct forms of parts within the same organism. It could refer to different colors or color patterns, sizes, anatomical parts, etc. Sexual dimorphism is a common case, where the two sexes have different shapes, sizes, etc.
Dioecious - having separate sexes. Individuals within the species contain only one or the other of male and female reproductive systems
Disease - any impairment of an organism's vital functions or systems, including interruption, cessation, proliferation, or other malfunction
Disease vector - an organism which transmits infective organisms from one host to another
Dispersal - the spread of a species to a new location. In many organisms, this happens at a particular stage in the life cycle, and is often critical for the species' survival. Organisms may disperse as spores, seeds, eggs, larvae, juveniles, or adults
Displacement behavior - a behavioral response that is appropriate for one situation appears in another situation, for which it is inappropriate
Distal - the direction away from the midline of the body; the opposite of proximal
Diurnal - active during the day light hours
Diverticulum - a blind sac branching off a cavity or canal
Dormancy - a period of suspended growth and metabolic activity. Many plants, seeds, spores, cysts, and some invertebrates become dormant during unfavorable conditions
Downwelling - a downward current of surface water in the ocean, usually caused by differences in the density of seawater
Dredge - a metal collar with an attached collecting bag that is dragged along the bottom to obtain samples of rock, sediment, or benthic organisms
Drop root - an adventitious root in mangroves that originates from the branches, and roots in the surface sediments
E
Echiura - an animal phylum that contains the echiurans or spoonworms. Some species inhabit coral crevices. Echiurans are deposit feeders
Ecological isolation - a form of reproductive isolation in which two closely-related species are separated by what is often a slight difference in the niches they occupy
Ecology - the study of the interrelationships between organisms and their environment, including the biotic and abiotic components
Ecosystem - an ecological community considered together with the non-living factors of its environment as a unit
Ecotone - a transitional area between two adjacent ecological communities
Ectoderm - the outer germ layer of cells in an embryo that gives rise to the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and neural tissue
Ectodermis - the outer cellular covering of a polyp
Eddy - a circular movement of water formed on the side of a main current
Ekman layer - the thin horizontal layer of water riding on top of the ocean that is affected by wind
Embayment - an indentation in the shoreline that forms a bay
Encrustation - a crustlike deposit or growth over a substratum
Encrusting colony - a thin colony which adheres closely and is attached to the substrate
Endangered Species Act (ESA) - an Act of Congress passed in 1966 that establishes a federal program to protect species whose survival is threatened by habitat destruction, overutilization, disease, etc.
Endemic species - a species whose distribution is restricted to a particular area
Endobenthic - refers to meiofaunal-sized organisms that move within the sediments
Endolithic - growing within a rock or any other hard inorganic substratum
Endoskeleton - skeleton, or support structure, which is on the inside of the organism's body. All vertebrates possess an endoskeleton that is made of either bone and/or cartilage
Endosymbiotic - Being symbiotic and living within the body of an individual of the associated species.
Endozooic - living inside an animal.
Environment - everything external to the organism
Environmental impact assessment - detailed studies which predict the effects of a development project on the environment. They also provide plans for the mitigation of adverse impacts
Environmental stress - severe environmental effects on the natural ecosystem
Enzootic - an infectious disease constantly present in an animal population but having low incidence
Enzyme - an organic catalyst
Epibenthic (epifaunal or epifloral) - refers to organisms living on the surface of the substrate
Epibiont - an organism that lives on the outside of another organism.
Epidemic spawning - simultaneous shedding of gametes by a large number of individuals.
Epiphyte - microalgal organism living on a surface (e.g., on a seaweed frond); a plant living on the surface of another plant.
Epizoite - an animal that lives on the surface of another organism.
Epizootic - a temporal pattern of disease occurrence in an animal population in which the disease occurs with a frequency clearly in excess of the expected frequency in that population during a given time interval; an outbreak (epidemic) of disease in an animal population
Errant - motile or free swimming
Etiology - the science that is concerned with origins and causes of disease
Eukaryotic - descriptive of organisms with cells having a distinct nucleus with nDNA, and intracellular membranes. This includes all protists, fungi, plants and animals. The organisms are termed eucaryotes
Eumetazoa - all multicellular animals excluding the sponges
Euphotic zone - the layer of the ocean that receives sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis. The depth to which 1% of incident light penetrates (1% is the minimum amount of light required for photosynthesis)
Euryhaline - pertaining to an aquatic organism that can withstand a broad salinity range
Eurythermal - pertaining to an aquatic organism that can withstand a broad temperature range
Eutrophic - a situation in which the increased availability of nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate stimulates the growth of plants such that the oxygen content is depleted and carbon sequestered
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) - the sovereign waters of a nation, recognized internationally under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the SEA as extending out 200 nautical miles from shore. Within the U.S. the EEZ typically is between three and 200 miles from shore
Exoskeleton - an external skeleton or supportive covering of an animal formed from the ectoderm, as for example, the shell coverings of a crustacean, the calcium carbonate secretions of stony corals, or the bony plates of an armadillo
Exotic species - an introduced, non-native species
Explanate coral colony - a colony that spreads horizontally as the branches fuse into a solid or near solid plate
Extant - of a taxon: having living representatives; of a specimen: still in existence
Extant species - species which are now living
Extinct - of a taxon: having no living representatives.
Extinct species - species for which there are no living representatives
Extinction coefficient - a coefficient measuring the rate of extinction, or diminution, with distance of transmitted light in sea water
Extratentacular budding - an asexual form of reproduction where daughter corallites grow from the outside wall of the parent corallites
Exumbrella - the upper surface of the bell of a medusa or jellyfish
F
Farctate - a filled or solid structure, as opposed to one that is tubular or hollow
Faro - a rhomboid-shaped, steep-sided, continental shelf atoll
Fauna - the entire group of animals found in an area
Filiform - thread-shaped
Filter feeder - an organism that feeds by capturing particles suspended in the water column. A synonym of suspension feeder.
Fimbriate - a structure that is fringed at the margin
Fire coral - a species of hydroid (Millepora sp.) that frequently is brownish to orange-yellow in color and forms encrusting colonies that can assume the shape of its support structure. Their nematocysts release a virulent toxin which causes painful welts on human skin. Fire corals are not true corals
Fissure - a deep and narrow depression cutting across the reef front with origins relating to jointing planes in the reef limestone or non-limestone bedrock
Flaring corallite - a corallite with expanding, trumpet-like curves to the outer corallite wall
Flora - the entire group of plants found in an area
Fluorescence - the emission of light from a substance caused by exposure to radiation from an external source
Fluorescent pigment - a pigment that absorbs light at one wavelength and emits it at a different wavelength. The emitted light usually has a lower energy than the light absorbed by the pigment
Foliose coral - a coral whose skeletal form approximates that of a broad, flattened plate.
Food chain / food web - all the interactions of predator and prey, included along with the exchange of nutrients into and out of the ecosystem. These interactions connect the various members of an ecosystem, and describe how energy is converted and passes from one organism to another
Fore reef escarpment -a slope or cliff seaward of the fore reef terrace, at a depth of about 25 -30 m.
Fore reef slope - a sand covered, gradual or sharply descending slope; the next-to-deepest part of the fore reef.
Fore reef terrace - the uppermost portion of the fore reef ; a flat plain beginning at the base of the buttress or mixed zone, at a depth of about 60 m.
Fossa - a hole or cavity in the coral skeleton
Foveolate corallite - a corallite of some species which is located at the base of a funnel-shaped depression
Fragmentation - a type of asexual reproduction common in branching corals. Branches break off from the parental colony to establish other colonies nearby
Framework - a rigid, wave resistant calcareous structure constructed by sessile organisms such as sponges, corals, and bryozoans, in a high energy environment
Free-living coral - a coral which is not attached to a substrate
Frequency distribution - a graphical, tabular, or mathematical representation of the manner in which the frequencies of a continuous or discrete random variable are distributed over the range of its possible value
Fringing reef - a shelf reef that grows close to shore. Some develop around oceanic islands.
Frond - a leaf-like thallus, such as the body of a kelp
Furcate - a forked structure
Fusiform - a shape that is tapered at both ends; spindle-shaped; torpedo-shaped, like a mackerel
G
Gap analysis - a Geographic Information System (GIS) methodology to identify the distribution of biodiversity over large spatial areas. It was developed in 1988 by the U.S. Geological Survey in an effort to ensure that regions rich in species diversity are conserved with the hope that this will eliminate the need to list species as threatened or endangered in the future. The gap analysis approach uses maps of vegetation and predicted animal distributions to locate centers of species richness outside areas currently managed for biodiversity protection. These are considered the "gaps" of gap analysis.
Gas chromatography - the separation of a mixture of compounds (solutes) into separate components, which then can be analyzed by a mass spectrometer to yield detailed empirical molecular information regarding the chemistry of the samples
Gastropoda - a class of the phylum Mollusca that includes snails, sea slugs, nudibranchs, limpets, and cone shells. There are approximately 30,000 living species described. Many species are inhabitants of coral reefs and nearby seagrass beds
GCRMN (Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network) - a global network whose aim is to improve management and sustainable conservation of coral reefs for people by assessing the status and trends in the reefs and how people use and value the resources. It does this by providing many people with the capacity to assess their own resources, within a global network, and to spread the word on reef status and trends
Geostationary satellite - satellite whose orbit around the equator equals that of the Earth's rotation, making it possible for them to view the same disc of Earth's surface below continuously
Geostrophic current - a flow that sustains a balance between Coriolis deflection and a pressure gradient
Global change - a transformation which occurs on a worldwide scale (for example, an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere) or exhibits sufficient cumulative effects to have worldwide impact (for example, local species extinction resulting in global loss of biodiversity)
Global warming - an increase in temperature that occurs globally
GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) - a class of satellite operated by NOAA, positioned in a nearly stationary orbit over the equator at an altitude of about 22,500 miles. GOES-8 is currently the operational "east" spacecraft at 75 degrees West longitude, while GOES-10 is the "west" spacecraft located at 135 degrees West. GOES-11 is in standby at 110 degrees West
Gonangium - a reproductive polyp of a colonial hydrozoan. It consists of a stalk containing medusa buds surrounded by a thin membrane, the gonotheca
Gonochoric - having separate sexes. Individuals within the species contain only one or the other of male and female reproductive systems
Gonophore - a sexual zooid produced as a medusa bud upon a hydroid, sometimes becoming a free hydromedusa and sometimes remaining attached
Gonozooid - a reproductive polyp of a colonial hydrozoan
Gorgonians - anthozoans of the subclass Octocorallia, commonly called sea fans and whips.
Gorgonin - a fibrous protein in the mesoglea which provides skeletal support for sea fans and other members of the Order Gorgonacea
Gram's stain - a method for differential staining of bacteria; Gram-positive cells stain purple-black and Gram-negative cells stain pink; useful in bacterial taxonomy and identification
Grazer - an animal which feeds on plants
Green algae - green algae belong to the Division Chlorophycota. These algae contain photosynthetic pigments similar to those in higher plants (chlorophylls a and b, as well as secondary pigments: carotenes, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and have a green color.
Greenhouse effect - the heating that occurs when gases such as carbon dioxide trap heat escaping from the Earth and radiate it back to the surface
Greenhouse gases - atmospheric gases, primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide restricting some heat-energy from escaping directly back into space
Gross primary production - the total amount or weight of organic matter created by photosynthesis over a defined time period (total product of photosynthesis)
Growth band - a band formed yearly on coral by the secretion of CaCO3; one yearly growth band contains two smaller bands representing winter growth and summer growth
Gulf - a portion of an ocean or sea that extends into the land; a partially land-locked sea
Gustation - pertains to the sense of taste
Guyot - a flat-topped submarine mountain
Gyre - a large water-circulation system of geostrophic currents rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere or counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere
H
Habitat - place or environment where a particular species live.
Habitat diversity - the number of different types of habitats within a given area Habituation - in animal behavior, the temporary waning or disappearance of an innate response when it is elicited many times in succession
Half-life - the time required for a radioactive substance to lose half of its nuclei
Halimeda - an important genus of calcareous green algae in coral reef environments
Halophile - an organism which lives in an environment of high salt concentration. Halophiles have special adaptations to permit them to survive under these conditions
Halophyte - a plant that grows in soils that have a high content of various salts
Hard bottom - a substrate formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate by reef building corals and other organisms or existing as bedrock or volcanic rock usually of minimal relief
Hard coral - a coral in the anthozoan order Scleractinia. Also known as the stony corals, these organisms possess a hard external calcareous skeleton.
Hard coral forms - may be conveniently summarized as: encrusting (lichen-like); branched (staghorn-like); massive (rock-like); sub-massive (pillar-like); tabulate (table-like); foliose (scroll-like); and solitary
Herbivore - an animal that feeds on plants
Hermaphrodite - an animal or plant which is equipped with both male and female reproductive organs
Hermatypic coral - a reef-building coral with zooxanthellae in its tissues
Heterotroph - an organism that cannot manufacture its own food, and therefore requires external sources of energy
Hexamerous - having six parts, or parts in multiples of six arranged radially, as found in anthozoans in which the tentacles and mesenteries are in multiples of six
High-resolution satellite SST climatology - 9 km monthly or yearly averages of satellite-derived (see AVHRR) sea surface temperatures obtained over periods of 10 years or longer
Histology - the branch of biology that studies the microscopic structure of animal or plant tissues. The four basic types of animal tissues are: epithelial tissue, nervous tissue, muscular tissue and connective tissue (bone, cartilage, blood, fat, and areolar (fibrous). The three basic plant tissues are: dermal tissue, ground tissue, and vascular tissue
Hoa - a channel or pass connecting the atoll lagoon with the open ocean
Holdfast - a root-like structure for attachment that anchors attached seaweeds and other algae to the substratum
Holothurin - a toxic substance released by some holothuroids (sea cucumbers)
Homeostasis - the ability to maintain a relatively constant internal environment host - an organism which serves as the habitat for a parasite or symbiont. The host may provide nutrition to the parasite or symbiont, or simply a place in which to live
HotSpot animation - animations from HotSpot imagery denoting coral reef bleaching events over time
HotSpot charts - charted regions that highlight sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies that are greater than 1 deg C above the maximum monthly climatological SST. See also coral bleaching and coral bleaching hotspot
Hybrid - an individual with parents of different species
Hydranth - a feeding polyp of a colonial hydrozoan. It bears tentacles armed with nematocysts, a mouth and a thin outer covering, the hydrotheca
Hydrocaulus - the main stem of a colonial hydrozoan which consists of a cylindrical tube of living tissue (coenosarc) covered by a thin outer membrane (perisarc)
Hydrotheca - a thin outer covering of a hydranth, the feeding polyp, of a colonial hydrozoan
Hydrozoa - a class within the phylum Cnidaria. The Hydrozoa contains five orders that include: small medusae with no polyp generation; colonial forms with alternating polyp and medusa stages and a chitinous exoskeleton; solitary polyps that lack a medusoid stage; colonial forms with massive aragonite skeletons (e.g., fire coral); and complex colonial forms, with individual polyps specialized for feeding, swimming, prey capture, and reproduction. Some, but not all, float by means of a large pneumatophore, or gas bag
Hypersaline - referring to water with a salinity higher than that of natural seawater
Hypha - one of the long, branching filaments that forms the mycelium of a fungus
Hyposaline - referring to water with a salinity lower than that of natural seawater
11 May 2008 at 10:00am
A noted scientist will be visiting Earthwatch in Maynard to discuss coral reef conservation.
10 May 2008 at 11:35pm
Coral, caves and Mayan ruins beckon in Belize
5 May 2008 at 3:24am
Submersible cameras offer a close look at the struggling habitats, helping scientists gauge how best to protect them. Whirring over a sun-streaked patch of tropical seafloor, a submersible equipped with cameras is helping provide the most detai...
7 May 2008 at 4:19pm
After an exhaustive six hour battle, the Calgary Fire Department says they have managed to extinguish a blaze in the northeast. Firefighters arrived at the fire in Coral Springs just before four o'clock ...
