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abdomen:
the belly region of a vertebrate animal, or the hind segment of the body of an insect, crustacean or other arthropod.
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abyss:
a very deep region.
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abyssal plain:
the flattened floor of the deep ocean offshore from the continental margin.
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abyssal zone:
the deep sea region below 13,000 feet (4,000 meters).
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adaptation:
a characteristic body part, shape or behavior that helps a plant or animal survive in its environment.
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aerobic:
containing oxygen or requiring oxygen.
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albatross:
a large seabird that spends much of its life wandering over the open ocean far from land.
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algae (sing. alga):
a large group of primitive plants that live mostly in water. Kelp and other seaweeds are algae. Algae have simple bodies—many kinds exist as single cells.
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algin:
a slippery substance extracted from brown algae, including kelp. Algin is used in paint, toothpaste, ice cream and many other products because it thickens liquids and binds oily and watery liquids together.
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amphipods:
small, shrimplike crustaceans.
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anaerobic:
not containing oxygen or not requiring oxygen.
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anchovy:
a small, silvery fish that swims in big schools. Anchovies are eaten by tuna, salmon, penguins and many other predators.
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anemone:
a sea animal with a crown of tentacles at the top of a fleshy polyp or stalk. The tentacles contain stinging cells (cnidocytes).
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angling device:
a modified dorsal fin or chin barbel on some deep sea fishes that acts like a rod and bait to attract prey or mates.
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anoxic:
without oxygen.
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antenna:
a long, slender organ or feeler located on the head of an insect, crustacean or other arthropod; or any long, slender rod used for gathering or transmitting information.
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antibiotic:
a medicine that kills disease-causing bacteria.
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aquaculture:
fish farming. Find out more about aquaculture in the Seafood Watch Issues section.
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aquatic:
of the water; living in the water.
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arthropod:
a large group of invertebrate animals with jointed legs, including the insects, scorpions, crustaceans and spiders.
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atmospheric pressure:
the pressure of the air here on the Earth's surface. At sea level, atmospheric pressure equals 14.7 pounds per square inch (2.6 kilograms per square centimeter). This amount of pressure is known to scientists as one atmosphere. People and other land animals are adapted to one atmosphere of pressure and thrive on the Earth's surface. But water is much heavier than air, and as we dive into the ocean, pressure increases. Divers feel an extra atmosphere's worth of pressure with every 33 foot (10 meter) increase in depth.
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atoll:
a ring-shaped coral reef that forms around a volcanic island.
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aviary:
an enclosure where birds can fly around freely.
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avocet:
a shorebird with long legs and a very long, upward-curving bill.
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bacterium (pl. bacteria):
one-celled organisms so small they can only be seen with a microscope. Some bacteria cause diseases, like pneumonia and tuberculosis, but others are necessary to all life on Earth because they break down dead organic material.
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baleen:
a tough, horny material growing in comblike fringes from the upper jaws of some species of whales.
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bamboo shark:
shark of the genus Chiloscyllium, which live in shallow waters around coral reefs and have bamboolike markings when young.
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Banggai cardinalfish:
a tiny coral reef fish with large eyes and patterned skin, found mainly near the island of Banggai (near Indonesia).
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barbel:
a long, slender organ extending from the chins of some fishes, sometimes used as a lure to attract prey.
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barnacle:
an invertebrate animal that lives in a hard shell attached to a rock, boat bottom or other hard surface. Barnacle shells are cone-shaped, like tiny volcanoes. Barnacles are crustaceans, related to crabs, shrimp and lobsters.
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bat ray:
a species of ray that has long fins that look like bat wings.
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bathyal:
the deep sea region between 600 and 6,000 feet (183 to 1,830 meters).
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beach hopper:
a tiny, shrimplike animal that lives among piles of kelp washed up on beaches; they hop like fleas to get away and are sometimes called "sand fleas."
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bell:
the round, non-stinging part of umbrella-shaped jellies known as medusas.
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bends:
"the bends" is a painful condition caused when nitrogen gas forms bubbles in a diver's blood. Scuba divers risk getting the bends if they come up too fast from a deep dive.
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benthic:
on or near the bottom of a lake, river or ocean.
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benthic echinoderm:
a sea star, sea urchin or other echinoderm that lives on or near the seafloor.
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benthic jelly:
a jelly that lives on or very near the seafloor.
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benthic mollusc:
one of a group of soft-bodied animals that live on or near the seafloor. Deep sea snails and clams are benthic molluscs.
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beta carotene :
a natural yellow pigment, present in many vegetables and extracted from green algae.
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bioluminescence:
light made by a living organism.
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black-necked stilt:
a shorebird with a dark back and long, red legs.
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bloom:
jelly blooms are the result of reproduction events where, in its asexual stage, jellies bud multiple polyps, and these polyps divide. It’s thought that blooms of jellies occur when waters are overfished or when a species is accidentally introduced into an environment and begins to take over.
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blubber:
a thick layer of fat under the skin of whales, seals and their relatives. Blubber helps keep these marine mammals warm.
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bluefin tuna:
a group of tuna species with iridescent blue skin. Bluefin are some of the ocean's biggest, fastest predators. They live in cold water and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms).
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blue-spotted boxfish:
a small tropical fish with a square, boxlike body. The "box" is stiff body armor made of stuck-together scales.
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bonito:
a sleek, fast-swimming fish in the tuna family.
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bottom trawling:
a cone-shaped net is dragged along the seafloor. Some bottom trawl nets are fixed with chains that slap the seabed, "tickling" fishes into the net above. Other "rockhopper" trawls are fitted with heavy tires that roll the net along rough, rocky seafloor, ensuring the net isn't snagged on the bottom. Find out more about bottom trawling and see an animation of how it works in the |
