Marine Biology Terms
Terms
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- carrageenan
- A phycocolloid extracted from red algae that is widely used in food processing.
- bacteriophages
- Viruses that infect bacteria.
- auxospore
- The resistant stage of diatoms that restores the maximum size characteristic to the species.
- boring sponges
- Sponges that bore through calcareous skeletons and shells.
- archaea (sing. archaeum)
- Prokaryotic, unicellular microorganisms in the domain archaea.
- abyssopelagic zone
- The pelagic environment from a depth of 4,000 m to 6,000 m.
- by-catch
- Non-target catch that is taken while fishing for other species.
- chordates
- (phylum Chordata) Animals that display a hollow dorsal nerve cord, gill slits, and a notochord. Includes the protochordates and the vertebrates.
- cephalothorax
- The anterior portion of the body of many arthropods, which consists of the head fused with other body segments.
- beard worms (pogonophorans)
- Tube-dwelling annelids that lack a digestive system.
- chlorophyll
- A green photosynthetic pigment.
- biogenous sediment
- Sediment that is made up of the skeletons and shells of marine organisms.
- cellulose
- A complex carbohydrate that is the main component of fibers and other support structures in plants.
- blade
- The leaf-like portion of the thallus of a seaweed.
- bony fishes (Osteichthyes)
- Fishes with a skeleton made mostly of bone; they also have opercula and fin rays.
- chloroplast
- The organelle where photosynthesis takes place.
- arthropods
- Invertebrates that have jointed appendages and a chitinous, segmented exoskeleton.
- carposporophyte
- A diploid generation found in the red algae. It produces non-motile carpospores.
- abiotic
- A non-living (physical or chemical) component of the environment.
- caudal fin
- The posterior, or tail, fin of fishes.
- aerobic respiration
- The chemical process involved in the release of energy from organic matter. Organic matter (glucose) + oxygen (O2) --> carbon dioxide (CO2) + water (H20)
- calcareous ooze
- A type of biogenous sediment that is made of the calcium carbonate shells and skeletons of marine organisms.
- bioluminescence
- The production of light by living organisms.
- anadromous
- Marine fishes that migrate to fresh water to breed.
- bioturbator
- A member of the infauna that moves sediment while burrowing or feeding.
- carbon (C)
- An element that is an essential constituent of all organic compounds.
- carrying capacity
- The maximum population size that can be sustained by the available resources in a given environment.
- back reef
- The inner part of a barrier reef or an atoll.
- apneustic breathing
- Breathing pattern shown in many marine mammals that involves deep breaths followed by exhalation.
- barophilic
- Pressure-loving. Applied to organisms or enzymes that grow or function best, or only, at high pressure.
- birds
- (class Aves) Vertebrates that have feathers and lay eggs with calcified shells on land.
- biological clock
- A repeated rhythm that is synchronized with crime.
- abyssal zone
- The bottom from a depth of approximately 4,000 m to 6,000 m.
- asthenosphere
- The layer of upper mantle that lies below the lithosphere.
- bilateral symmetry
- The arrangement of body parts in such a way that there are only two identical halves, with different anterior and posterior ends and dorsal and ventral surfaces.
- central rift valley
- A depression in the mid-ocean ridge.
- calcareous green algae
- Green algae that deposit calcium carbonate in their thallus.
- central nervous system
- The brain (or a similar aggregation of nerve cells)and one or more nerve cords.
- anthropogenic impact
- Disturbance to the natural environment caused by humans.
- ampulla (pl. ampullae) of Lorenzini
- One of several sensory structures in the head of sharks that detect weak electric fields.
- black smoker
- A chimney-like accumulation of mineral deposits that is found at hydrothermal vents.
- budding
- A type of asexual reproduction by which a separate, new individual is produced from a small outgrowth, or bud.
- atoll
- A coral reef that develops as a ring around a central lagoon.
- bivalves
- (class Bivalvia) Clams, mussels, and other molluscs that possess a two-valved shell, filtering gills, and a shovel-like foot.
- bar-built estuary
- An estuary that is formed when a barrier island or sand bar separates a section of the coast where fresh water enters.
- anaerobic bacteria
- Bacteria that do not need oxygen.
- Aristotle's lantern
- The set of jaws and associated muscles used by sea urchins to bite off food.
- baleen
- The filtering plates that hang from the upper jaws of baleen whales.
- bacterium (sing. bacterium)
- Prokaryotic, unicellular microorganisms in the domain Bacteria.
- chitons
- (class Polyplacophora) Molluscs that have a shell divided into eight overlapping plates.
- cetaceans
- (order Cetacea) Marine mammals with anterior flippers, no posterior limbs, and a dorsal fin: whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
- adductor muscle
- One of two muscles that close a bivalve's shells.
- chloride cells
- Cells in the gills of fishes that are involved in the excretion of excess salts.
- cartilaginous fishes
- (Chondrichthyes) Fishes with a skeleton made of cartilage: sharks, rays, skates, and ratfishes (or chimeras).
- bloom
- A sudden increase in the abundance of an alga or phytoplankton.
- chemosynthetic (chemoautotrophic) prokaryotes
- Autotrophic bacteria and archaea that use energy by releasing it from particular chemical compounds.
- basalt
- The dark-colored rock that forms the sea floor, or oceanic crust.
- antenna
- A sensory appendage on the head of arthropods.
- agar
- A commercially important phycocolloid extracted from red algae.
- big bang theory
- The theory that a cosmic explosion produced clouds of dust and gas from which the earth and solar system originated.
- baleen whales
- The filter-feeding whales.
- black corals
- (order Antipatharia) Colonial anthozoans that secrete a black protein skeleton.
- ambergris
- Undigested material that accumulates in the intestine of the sperm whale.
- binomial nomenclature
- A system of naming species using two names, the first of which refers to the genus.
- carnivore
- An animal that eats other animals. A top carnivore is one that feeds at the top of the food chain.
- chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
- Chemicals, used in sprays, air conditioners, and other products, that affect the ozone layer.
- anthozoans
- Cnidarians whose life cycle consists of a complex polyp and no medusa.
- byssal threads
- Strong fibers secreted by mussels for attachment.
- brittle stars
- (class Ophiuroidea) Echinoderms with five flexible arms that radiate from a conspicuous central disk and tube feet that are used in feeding.
- carbon cycle
- The cyclic conversion of carbon between carbon dioxide and various organic compounds.
- anaerobic respiration
- The breaking down of organic matter by organisms in the absence of oxygen.
- capsid
- The outer protein coat of viruses.
- cephalopods
- (class Cephalopoda) Octopuses, squids, and other molluscs that possess a foot modified into arms that surround the head.
- animals
- Members of the kingdom Animalia, which consists of heterotrophic, eukaryotic, multicellular organisms.
- algal ridge
- A ridge of coralline algae that is found on the outer edge of some coral reefs.
- biological magnification
- The increased concentration of non-biodegradable chemicals in the higher levels of the food chain.
- anoxic
- Lacking oxygen.
- bryozoans
- (phylum Ectoprocta or Bryozoa) Small, colonial, encrusting invertebrates with delicate, often lace-like skeletons.
- arrow worms
- Planktonic invertebrates characterized by a streamlined, transparent body.
- atom
- The smallest unit into which an element can be divided and still retains its properties.
- calcareous
- Made of calcium carbonate.
- ambulacral groove
- Each of the radiating channels of echinoderms through which tube feet protrude.
- asexual (vegetative) reproduction
- The type of reproduction that takes place without the formation of gametes.
- amphibians
- Vertebrates that lay their eggs in fresh water: frogs, salamanders, and allies.
- algal turf
- A dense growth of often filamentous algae.
- alternation of generations
- A reproductive cycle in which a sexual stage alternates with an asexual one, as in the case of a gametophyte alternating with a sporophyte.
- autotroph
- An organism that manufactures its own organic matter by using energy from the sun or other sources.
- bathypelagic zone
- The pelagic environment from a depth of 1,000 m to 4,000 m.
- carotenoid
- One of a group of yellow, orange, and red plant pigments.
- alga (pl. algae)
- Any of several groups of eukaryotic, autotrophic protists that lack the structural features (true leaves, roots, and stems) of plants.
- carbon fixation
- The conversion of inorganic carbon into energy-rich organic carbon, usually by photosynthesis.
- anal fin
- The last ventral fin of fishes.
- biotic
- A living component of the environment.
- algin
- A phycocolloid extracted from brown algae that is widely used in food processing.
- benthos
- Organisms that live on the bottom.
- barrier island
- A long and narrow island that is built by waves along the coast.
- bleaching
- The expulsion of zooxanthellae by reef corals in response to stress.
- catadromous
- Freshwater fishes that migrate to sea to breed.
- brown algae
- (phylum Heterokontophyta, class Phaeophyta) Seaweeds with a predominance of yellow and brown pigments.
- chitin
- A complex derivative of carbohydrates that is the main component of the skeleton of many animals.
- biomass
- The total mass of living organisms.
- blubber
- A thick layer of fat under the skin of many marine mammals.
- carapace
- The shield-like structure that covers the anterior portion of some crustaceans; the shell of sea turtles.
- amphipods
- A group of small, laterally compressed crustaceans that includes beach hoppers and others.
- ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
- A molecule that stores energy and releases it to power chemical reactions in organisms.
- abyssal plain
- The nearly flat region of the deep-sea floor.
- active continental margin
- A continental margin that is colliding with another plate and as a result is geologically active.
- biodegradable
- Able to be broken down by bacteria or other organisms.
- barnacles
- Crustaceans that live attached to surfaces and are typically enclosed by heavy calcareous plates.
- carbon dioxide (CO2)
- A colorless gas that is required in the process of photosynthesis.
- aboral surface
- The surface opposite the mouth (or oral surface) in cnidarians, comb jellies, and echinoderms.
- carbon dating
- A procedure used to determine the age of recent fossils.
- chlorinated hydrocarbons
- A group of non-biodegradable, synthetic chemicals. Some are toxic and become pollutants.
- carbohydrate
- An organic compound that consists of chains or rings of carbon with hydrogen and oxygen attached to them.
- bradychardia
- The slowing down of heart rate during diving in marine mammals.
- barrier reef
- A type of coral reef that develops at some distance from the coast.
- aquaculture
- The farming of marine and freshwater organisms.
- amino acid
- One of the 20 nitrogen-containing molecules that make up proteins.
- active transport
- The transfer of substances across membranes by a cell against a concentration gradient.
- breaching
- Leaping into the air by whales.
- blowhole
- The nostrils, or nasal openings, of cetaceans.
- bathyal zone
- The bottom between the shelf break and a depth of approximately 4,000 m.
- calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
- A mineral that is the major component of the shell, skeleton, and other parts of many organisms.