Download Glossary algae – Plant-like organisms that live mostly in water. Can

Glossary
algae – Plant-like organisms that live mostly in water. Can exist as single-celled
free swimmers or as multicellular seaweed.
aphotic zone – Area of the ocean to which sunlight never reaches; also called
the dark zone.
Arthropods – Invertebrates that have a hard exoskeleton and jointed legs.
AUV – “Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.”
bioluminescence – Production of light by a living organism.
camouflage – Ability to blend into the surroundings by means of body coloration,
patterns, and shape.
carapace – Part of an exoskeleton that covers the head and thorax (chest) of
some arthropods. Also, a sea turtle shell.
cartilage – Tough, elastic connective and supportive tissue found in many
animals. Some fish, like sharks, have an entire skeleton made of cartilage.
cartilaginous – Made of cartilage.
Cephalopods – Class of marine mollusks; including octopuses, squids, and
nautiluses.
chromatophores – Skin cells containing pigment. Allows some animals, like
squid, to change color.
Cnidarians – Soft invertebrates with tentacles that have stinging cells.
compound eyes – Single eye structure containing several light-sensing units.
continental shelf – Gradually sloping area of land that begins at the shore and
continues under the ocean.
continental slope – Steeply sloping area of land located beneath the ocean.
Crustaceans – Mostly aquatic class of animals that includes shrimp, lobsters,
crabs, barnacles, and others.
colonial animal – Animal in which many small individuals grow together, making
one large body.
detritus – Small bits of matter, such as decaying plant and animal parts, and
animal waste. Provides food for some animals living in the deep, lightless regions
of the sea.
dichotomous – Dividing or branching into two parts; in a dichotomous key, two
questions are asked about an item in order to help classify it.
dorsal – Refers to the back of an organism, such as the dorsal fin of a fish.
Echinoderms – Invertebrates with spiny skin, often in a star shape.
ecology - The branch of biology concerned with the relations between organisms
and their environment.
exoskeleton – Hard outer covering of some invertebrates.
gas bladder – Small gas-filled floats that help a plant or animal float in the water.
Gas bladders hold kelp blades toward the surface where they receive sunlight.
They also help fish swim upright.
habitat – the area in which a living organism makes its home.
invertebrate – Animal that does not have a backbone.
Mammals – Warm-blooded vertebrates that have hair and produce milk.
marine biology – The study of life in the ocean.
marine snow – Another name for detritus; used to describe matter drifting down
from the surface.
Mollusks – Invertebrates with soft bodies. Often protected by shells.
natural history – Detailed description of a species and its lifestyle.
operculum – Cover for the opening of the shells of gastropods (like snails), and
a plate covering the gills of bony fish.
overfishing – Taking too many fish and seriously depleting its numbers and
potentially affecting the future existence of that species.
overharvesting – Taking too many plants or animals for human use and
potentially affecting the future existence of that species.
photic zone – Area of the ocean through which sunlight penetrates.
photosynthesis – Process which occurs in green plants where light energy is
used to create food.
phytoplankton – Microscopic plants that float near the ocean’s surface.
Pinniped – Group of marine mammals that contains seals and sea lions.
preopercle – Cover over the smaller gill opening of bony fish.
radula – File-like structure in mollusks used to tear up food and bring it into the
mouth of an animal.
ROV – “Remotely Operated Vehicle.”
runoff – Rainfall that is not absorbed by the ground and flows into the ocean;
usually carries with it pollutants like oil, fertilizers and other materials.
scavenger – Animal that feeds on dead plants or animals.
sediment – Material that settles to the ocean bottom such as dirt, dead
microorganisms and pollutants.
siphonophore – Colonial animal related to the jellies; they can grow to be over
50 feet long.
stipe – Stem-like part of seaweed.
submersible – Any vehicle that can submerge underneath the surface of water.
vertebrate – Animal that has a backbone.
zooplankton – Microscopic animals that float in the ocean.