ICRI (International Coral Reef Initiative) - an environmental partnership and network that brings all the stakeholders together with the objective of sustainable use and conservation of coral reefs for future generations. ICRI is an informal mechanism that allows representatives of over 80 developing countries with coral reefs to sit in equal partnership with major donor countries and development banks, international environmental and development agencies, scientific associations, the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to decide on the best strategies to conserve the world's coral reef resources
IKONOS satellite - high-resolution (1-2 meter resolution) imaging satellite; the world's first commercial satellite for imagery of this type
Immersed corallite - a corallite that is embedded in the surrounding coenosteum
In situ - in the natural or original position
In situ data - measurements made at the actual location of the object or material measured, in contrast to remote sensing
Indigenous - native to a particular country or area
Infauna - animals that inhabit the sandy or muddy surface layers of the ocean bottom, i.e., those that live buried or dig into the substrate
Ingestion - the intake of water or food substances by "swallowing" them, taking them into the body cavity or into a cell vacuole
Insolation - the amount of solar radiation received on a given body or in a given area
Instar - a discreet, in-between molt stage, during the metamorphosis of an arthropod from larva to adult
Instinct - an unlearned, genetically coded behavior pattern that is internally motivated and characteristic of the species; the innate capacity of an animal to respond to a given stimulus in a relatively fixed way
Integrated coastal zone management - the process of combining all aspects of the human, physical and biological aspects of the coastal zone within a single management framework
Interannual - refers to a climatic process that re-occurs every three to ten years. El Niño is an example of a climatic process that re-occurs every 4-6 years
Intermediate host - in a parasite's life cycle, it is a host organism in which a parasite undergoes a stage of asexual development
Interstitial fauna - animals that live in the spaces within sediment particles (interstitial spaces)
Intertidal zone - the region between the highest water line and the mean low tide level
Intratentacular budding - a type of asexual reproduction where daughter corallites grow from the inside wall of parent corallites, usually by division of the parent corallite
Invertebrate - an animal that lacks a vertebral column (backbone)
IR (infrared) radiation - earth-emitted radiation over thermal wavelengths: 3-15 micrometers. Used for satellite remote sensing because it can be used to monitor weather and oceanographic conditions 24 hours a day
Isobath - a line on a map or chart that connects all points having the same depth below a water surface
Isoline - a line on a surface connecting points of equal value
ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone) - the region near the equator where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge
K
Key - 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.
Keystone species - a species that is disproportionately important in the maintenance and balance of its community integrity
Knee root - an aerial root of a mangrove that emerges from the ground then loops back in. It is also called a peg root. It is not clear whether knee roots have a role in respiration
Knob - a projecting structure on the reef margin or reef front wherein the upper surface flares outward, giving the surface a greater diameter then the basal section
knoll - a small reef within the lagoon or on shallow shelves
L
Lagoon - a warm, shallow, quiet waterway separated from the open sea by a reef crest.
Lagoon slope - back reef on a barrier or atoll reef.
Landsat satellite - U.S. satellite used to acquire high-resolution (500-800m) remotely sensed multi-spectral images of the earth's land surface and surrounding coastal regions
Leeward - the side of an island or reef that faces away from the prevailing wind.
Lenticel - aerial roots (pneumatophores) of mangroves contain spongy tissue connected to the exterior of the root via small pores called lenticels. During low tide, when lenticels are exposed to the atmosphere, oxygen is absorbed from the air and transported to and even diffused out of the roots below ground. This diffusion of oxygen maintains an oxygenated microlayer around the roots that enhances nutrient uptake.
Lesion - any pathological or traumatic discontinuity of tissue, or loss of function of a part
Leuconoid - the body form of highest complexity in sponges. The leucanoid form is highly irregular, displays the greatest degree of folding of the body wall, and has lost radial symmetry. The choanocytes line the pockets formed by the convoluted body wall
LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) - a remote-sensing technique that uses a laser light source to probe the characteristics of a surface target. A laser emission may be directed downward from a low flying aircraft. Information about the target is derived from back-scattered reflectance or fluorescence of the target. Chlorophyll pigments in coral reef organisms (e.g., algae, seagrasses, coral), when excited by shorter (blue or green) wavelength light, emit light at longer (red) wavelengths, i.e., it fluoresces
Line intercept transect - a linear transect protocol where a tape is secured at each end of the transect with the tape draped over the reef in between. Observations are collected on each species and substrate component and their length under the tape
Linear reef - a linear coral formation that is oriented parallel to the shore or the shelf edge
Linear transect - a line of specified length laid out within a study site. They are generally positioned parallel to the shore along depth contours. Measurements and observations may be taken along the entire surface beneath the line (line intercept transect) or at specified intervals along the line (point intercept transect)
Lithothamnion ridge - a synonym for algal ridge. The algal genus Lithothamnion is important in maintaining reef integrity by cementing various pieces of calcium carbonate
Littoral - intertidal; between low and high tide levels
Long term monitoring - the repeated surveying of organisms, populations, communities, or environmental parameters over time to help us understand a variety of natural processes
Longshore current - a current that flows parallel to the shore just inside the surf zone. It is also called the littoral current
Lophelia reef - a reef formed by Lophelia pertusa, a deep-sea coral found in all oceans except the Arctic Ocean
Lower palmata zone - the part of a reef crest that is seaward of the palmata zone; consists primarily of elkhorn coral at a depth of about 3-6 m.
M
Macroalgae - algae that project more than one centimeter above the substratum
Macrobenthos (macrofauna or macroflora) - benthic organisms (animals or plants) whose shortest dimension is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm
Macronutrient - a nutrient, such as a nitrate or phosphate, that is required by plants in relatively large quantities in order to undergo photosynthesis and growth
Makatea - a fossil coral reef
Mangal - relating to a shoreline ecosystem dominated by mangrove trees, with associated mud flats
Mangel - a shoreline ecosystem dominated by mangrove trees, with associated mud flats
Mangrove - a general name for several species of halophyte belonging to different families of plants (including trees, shrubs, a palm tree and a ground fern) occurring in intertidal zones of tropical and subtropical sheltered coastlines and exceeding one half meter in height.
Manta tow technique - a technique used to provide a general description of large areas of reef and to gauge broad changes in abundance and distribution of organisms on coral reefs. The technique, widely used in Australia, involves towing a snorkel diver (observer) at a constant speed behind a boat. The observer holds on to a 'manta board' attached to a small boat by a 17-meter length of rope. This person makes a visual assessment of specific variables during each manta tow (2 minutes duration), and records these data when the boat stops, on a data sheet attached to the manta board. The manta tow technique is used to provide a general description of large areas of reef and to gauge broad changes in abundance and distribution of organisms on coral reefs. The advantage of manta tow over other survey techniques is that it enables large areas of reefs to be surveyed quickly and with minimal equipment
Mariculture - the cultivation of marine organisms under controlled conditions; a synonym for marine aquaculture
Marsh - a soft, wet area periodically or continuously flooded to a shallow depth, usually characterized by a particular group of grasses, cattails and other low plants
Mass spawning - spawning events where many different species spawn simultaneously
Massive colony - a coral colony that is solid and typically hemispherical in shape meandroid colony - a massive colony that has corallite mouths aligned in valleys, such that there are no individual polyps
Medusa - the free swimming stage of some corals, jellyfish, anemones, hydroids and comb jellies, shaped like a bell or umbrella and swims by pulsations of the body.
Meiobenthos (meiofauna or meioflora) - benthic organisms whose shortest dimension is less than 0.5 mm but greater than or equal to 0.1 mm.
Microatoll - a circular colonial corallum up to 1 m height and 4 m diameter. Growth is mainly lateral, as upward growth is limited by aerial exposure
Microbenthos (microfauna or microflora) - benthic organisms whose shortest dimension is less than 0.1 mm.
Microhabitat - a smaller part of a habitat that has some internal interactions allowing it to function self-sufficiently within a generally larger habitat, such as a patch reef in a lagoon.
Midlittoral zone - the portion of the intertidal zone that is covered and uncovered by water each day
Mimicry - the appearance or characteristics of one organism that copies or "mimics" another in order to gain some advantage; the organism may resemble some other natural object as an aid in concealment
Mini-atoll - ring-shaped patch reef with a central area (lagoon) containing sand.
Mixed layer - near-surface waters subject to mixing by wind and waves; there is little variation in salinity or temperature below the mixed layer
Mixed zone - the populous region of most bank/barrier reefs seaward of the lower palmata zone; begins at a depth of 6-8 m.
Monoecious - having combined sexes. Individuals of monoecious species contain the reproductive systems of both males and females
Monophyletic group - a group of organisms descended from a common ancestor
Monsoon - a periodic wind caused by the effects of differential heating, with the largest being the Indian monsoon found in the Indian Ocean and southern Asia
Montastraea - a genus of hard (stony) coral that includes the boulder coral and the great star coral
Motile - capable of self-locomotion
Motu - a coral island in the lagoon of an atoll
MPA (Marine Protected Area) - Executive Order 13158 defines a marine protected area (MPA) as "any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by Federal, State, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein."
Mucus - a gelatinous material secreted by specialized mucous cells. In corals, it functions in protection from bacterial invasion, food capture, and removal of sediment particles. Mucus is usually moved by cilia (motile hair-like extensions of the cell membrane)
Mud - a fine sediment often associated with river discharge and buildup of organic material in areas sheltered from high-energy waves and currents
Mud flat - a relatively level area of fine silt along a shore (as in a sheltered estuary) or around an island, alternately covered and uncovered by the tide, or covered by shallow water
Mutualism - an interaction between two species in which both derive some benefit.
Mycelium - the mass of filamentous growth (hyphae) from which the vegetative part of a fungus develops
N
National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) - a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. The NBII links diverse, high-quality biological databases, information products, and analytical toolsmaintained by NBII partners and other contributors in government agencies, academic institutions, non-government organizations, and private industry
Natural climate record - a record of climatic events found by examining the natural environment (e.g., coral growth bands, tree rings, layers of ice in glaciers)
Natural selection - a natural process by which organisms (and their genes) that adapt to their environment survive while those that do not adapt become eliminated progressively
Nautical mile - the length of a minute of arc, 1/21,600 of an average great circle of the Earth. Generally one minute of latitude is considered equal to one nautical mile. The accepted United States value as of 1 July 1959 is 1,852 meters (6,076.115 feet)
Nekton - organisms with swimming abilities that allow them to move actively through the water column and to move against currents
Nematocysts (cnidocyte) - specialized cell for stinging in cnidarians.
Neoplasm - a cancerous growth
Neritic - refers to the ocean environment landward of the shelf-slope break
NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service) - the NOAA agency that operates and manages the U.S. civilian weather satellites and the national environmental data centers, such as the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), and the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) neuston - planktonic organisms associated with the air-water interface niche - the role of an organism in an ecological community; the environmental requirements and tolerances of a species; sometimes seen as a species' "profession" or what it does to survive NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program - a NOAA program whose purposes are:
(1) to preserve, sustain, and restore the condition of coral reef ecosystems;
(2) to promote the wise management and sustainable use of coral reefs;
(3) to develop sound scientific information on the condition of coral reef ecosystems and the threats to such ecosystems;
(4) to assist in the preservation of coral reefs by supporting conservation programs, including projects that involve affected local communities and nongovernmental organizations;
(5) to provide financial resources for those programs and projects; and
(6) to establish a formal mechanism for collecting and allocating monetary donations from the private sector to be used for coral reef conservation projects
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) - the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a federal agency within the US Department of Commerce that is dedicated to predicting and protecting the environment. NOAA's overall mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, protect life and property, provide decision makers with reliable scientific information, conserve and manage the Nation’s living marine and coastal resources to meet our Nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs, and foster global environmental stewardship.
Nocturnal - being primarily active at night
Nomenclature - the description of new taxa or alterations to the concept of previously described taxa which involve changes in the names of taxa
Nominal taxon - in taxonomy, a named taxon, objectively defined by its type taxon. Thus the nominal family Chaetodontidae is always the one to which its nominal type genus, Chaetodon, belongs
Nudibranch - a opisthobranchiate mollusk (sea slugs), having no shell except while very young. The gills are naked and situated upon the back or sides
Numericlature - an attempt to express the natural order (i.e. classification) of organisms in numbers, so that each taxon name is represented by a numerical code, the structure of which indicates its taxonomic position, rank and affinities
Nutrient - any substance assimilated by organisms that promotes growth. Marine scientists typically measure nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, and silicates as nutrients for plant growth
Nutrient cycling - all the processes by which nutrients are transferred from one organism to another. For instance, the carbon cycle includes uptake of carbon dioxide by plants, ingestion by animals, and respiration and decay of the animal
O
Ocean color - a term that refers to the spectral dependence of the radiance leaving a water body
Ocean color sensor - an instrument for the remote sensing of ocean color, usually from aircraft or satellite
Oceanic - associated with sea-water environments seaward of the shelf- slope break.
Oceanic crust - that part of the Earth's crust underlying the ocean basins. It is composed of basalt and has a thickness of about 5 km
Oceanic reef - one that develops adjacent to deeper waters, often in association with oceanic islands.
Octocorallia - a subclass of the Anthozoa that contains the sea pens, sea pansies, sea fans, whip corals, and pipe corals. Octocorals always possess 8 tentacles and 8 complete septa (hard corals and anemones possess 12 or more tentacles and septa). They are colonial cnidarians whose polyps are connected by a tissue mass called the coenenchyme. This tissue connects the gastrovascular (digestive) cavities of all the polyps in the colony
Oculina Banks - a series of deepwater coral pinnacles and ridges, 15 to 30 miles off the east coast of Florida, extending from Ft. Pierce to Cape Canaveral. Formed by a single species of coral, the Ivory Tree Coral, Oculina varicosa, they form pinnacles of up to 100 feet tall, growing below the Gulf Stream at depths of approximately 70 to 100 meters. This is a slow-growing, branching coral often associated with high biodiversity because they provide ideal habitats and spawning sites for numerous species of fishes and invertebrates
Off-reef - a synonym of reef slope
Offshore current - any current flowing away from shore
Offshore wind - a wind blowing seaward from the land in the coastal area.
Oligotrophic - refers to water bodies with low concentrations of nutrients
Omnivore - an organism whose diet consists of a wide variety of foodstuffs, including plants and animals
Onshore - a direction landward from the sea
Onshore wind - a wind blowing landward from the sea in the coastal area
Ontogeny - the development, growth, and maturation of an individual
Oolitic limestone - rock composed primarily of petrified corals or the skeletons of other calcareous animals.
Organic - refers to those substances produced by the metabolism of a living organism, especially carbon-containing compounds
Osculum - the main opening through which filtered water is discharged in sponges
Osmosis - the passage of water through a semipermeable membrane from a solution with a lower concentration of solute to one with a higher concentration of solute
Osmotic pressure - the pressure that is needed to counteract the osmotic passage of water molecules across a semipermeable membrane into the more concentrated solute
Ostium - in sponges, a microscopic pore through which water enters the sponge body
Outer slope - a synonym of reef slope. It is sometimes used to represent the lower reef slope
Overfishing - a level of fishing effort or fishing mortality such that a reduction of this level would, in the medium term, lead to an increase in the total catch
Oviparity - the reproductive mode where eggs are released from the body and later hatch
Oviposition - the process of depositing eggs
P
Palmata zone - the region of a reef crest of a bank or barrier reef that is closest to the water surface; composed almost completely of elkhorn coral.
Pangea - a supercontinent that existed from about 300 to 200 million years ago. It included most of the continental crust of the Earth
Papilla - a raised bump or nipple-like projection on a tissue surface; a cellular outgrowth. Papillae have the appearance of little bumps or fingers on the surface of cells
Papillose - covered with papillae
PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) - those wavelengths of light that can be absorbed by chlorophyll or other light harvesting pigments
Patch reef - a coral boulder or clump of corals unattached to a major reef structure.
Patchiness - the condition where organisms occur in aggregations
Pathogen - an organism which causes a disease within another organism
Pavement - rock exposed at the Earth's surface in the form of a more or less horizontal surface, usually with crevices or joints
Pelagic - refers to organisms that inhabit open water, as opposed to benthic
pH - the logarithm of the reciprocal of hydrogen-ion concentration in gram atoms per liter; provides a measure on a scale from 0 to 14 of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution (where 7 is neutral and <7 is acidic and >7 is basic)
Phaceloid coral - a coral that has corallites of uniform height which are adjoined toward their base
Phenetic classification - classification based on degree of overall similarity
Phenotype - the total characteristics of an individual, i.e., its appearance, resulting from interaction between its genotype (genetic constitution) and its environment
Photic zone - the vertical zone in the ocean extending from the surface to that depth permitting photosynthetic activity.
Photo-quadrat - a quadrat that is photographed for purposes of later analysis and permanent record for species monitoring or measurement
Photomosaic - an assemblage of photographs, each of which shows part of a region, and put together in such a way that each point in the region appears once and only once in the assemblage, and scale variation is minimized
Photosynthesis - process by which autotrophic chlorophyll-containing organisms manufacture their own energy sources (simple sugars) from the intracellular chemical reaction of carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll. Oxygen is a photochemical byproduct of photosynthesis
Photosynthetic pigment - a pigment that efficiently absorbs light within the 400-700 nm range and is essential for photosynthesis
Phylogenetics - the field of biology that deals with the relationships among organisms
Phylogeny - the evolutionary relationships among organisms
Phylum - a major division of a biological kingdom, consisting of closely- related classes; represents a basic fundamental pattern of organization and, presumably, a common descent
Phytoplankton - microscopic green plant component of the plankton which is responsible for most of the photosynthetic activity in the ocean
Pinnacle reef - a nearly cylindrical reef with vertical sides; may be up to 200 m diameter and 50 m in height
Pinnate - having side branches
Pinnule - a side branch structure on the tentacle of soft corals, giving them a feathery appearance
Piscivore - an animal that feeds on fishes
Plague (white plague disease) - a coral disease characterized by a sharp line between apparently healthy coral tissue and freshly exposed coral skeleton. There is no obvious microbial band present. The infective pathogen is a bacterium. Plague is currently epidemic throughout the Caribbean, and affects stony corals.
Plantae - the kingdom of immobile multicellular eukaryotes that obtain energy through photosynthesis, and have cells encased in cell walls composed of cellulose
Planula - a planktonic larval form produced by some anthozoans.
Platform reef - a large reef of variable shape lacking a lagoon, seaward of a fringing reef and or a barrier reef, for which the width is more than half its length.
Plocoid colony - a coral colony which has conical corallites with their own walls
Pneumatocyst - one of many gas-filled bladders found in some algae that act as a buoys. In some large brown algae, such as kelp, they act to raise the blades closer to the surface where photosynthesis can occur. Pneumatocysts keep the brown alga, Sargassum, afloat in the Sargasso Sea
Point intercept transect - a linear transect protocol where a tape is secured at each end of the transect with the tape draped over the reef in between. Observations are collected on each species and substrate component at specified points along the line
PointCount - PointCount for Coral Reefs is a Windows/Win95-based program developed to utilize the random point count method to accurately estimate percent coverage of corals, sponges, and associated substrate from frame grabbed underwater video imagery
Poisonous - an organism that contains poison in its tissues that can be harmful if the organism is ingested
Polar-orbiting satellite - a satellite traveling in a near-polar orbit around the globe; civilian satellite program managed and operated by NESDIS
Polyclad flatworm - a free-living flatworm belonging to the order Polycladida (Class Turbellaria; Phylum Platyhelminthes). Many species are coral reef inhabitants
Polyp - an individual of a solitary cnidarian or one member of a cnidarian colony.
Polyp bail-out - the dissociation and dispersal of coral polyps from adult colonies
Polyphyletic group - a group of species that resemble each other but are evolved from different ancestors. A polyphyletic group is composed of members that originated, independently, from more than one evolutionary line
Population - a group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time and sharing a common gene pool; a group of potentially interbreeding organisms in a geographic area
Population density - the number of organisms per unit area or volume
Population dynamics - the study of the factors that affect the growth, stability, and decline of populations, as well as the interactions of those factors
Population (statistics) - any entire collection of animals, plants, people, or things from which we may draw a sample and collect data. It is the entire group we are interested in, which we wish to describe or draw conclusions about. In order to make any generalizations about a population, a sample, that is meant to be representative of the population, is often studied.
Porifera - an animal phylum that contains the sponges. They are the most primitive of the multicellular animals. Sponges assume many sessile body forms, such as finger, branching, bushy, spherical, tubular, vase and tube-like, encrusting, amorphous and massive. Some bore into coral and mollusk shells. Many of the 5,000 species are colorful and prominent inhabitants of coral reefs
Porites - an important and dominant genus of hermatypic coral. Porites brood or release live young rather than sperm and egg packets like most corals
Potential coral reef bleaching episode - potential for coral bleaching occurs when the sea surface temperature is at least 1 degree C above the maximum expected summertime temperature
Primary male or female - a male or female that is genetically determined at birth or hatching and is not the result of sex change
Proboscis - an elongated tubular organ of varying use and form, usually associated with the oral region of many invertebrates producers - the first level in a food pyramid; usually consist of photosynthetic organisms that generate the food used by all other organisms in the ecosystem
Prop root - an adventitious root that grows from and supports the trunk above the ground in plants, such as mangroves
Prostrate colony - a coral colony which sprawls horizontally over the substrate
Protected area - an area set aside for the preservation, protection, and management of highly important natural and cultural features and for the regulation of the scientific, educational and recreational use
Protected species - species which are protected by federal legislation such as the Endangered Species Act, Mammal Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Protractile - capable of being protruded or thrust out
Proximal - the direction towards center of the body; opposite of distal
Q
Quadrat - a square or rectangular sampling unit of known area (e.g.,1 m2) within which organisms are counted or measured. Quadrats can be used to estimate the percent cover of each species or other reef components and obtain information about density, abundance, colony size, and biodiversity.
R
Røst Reef - the world's largest known deep-water Lophelia coral complex. It lies in depths between 300-400m west of Røst Island in the Lofoten archipelago, Norway. It covers an area approximately 40 km long and 3 km wide
Radial corallite - a corallite on a side of a branch as opposed to an axial corallite on the tip of the branch
Radial symmetry - a basic morphological plan of organisms that have their body parts arranged around a central axis. Such organisms tend to be circular or cylindrical in shape, e.g., a coral polyp, or have projections around a central disc, e.g., starfish
Rampart - a narrow ridge, 1-2 m high, built by waves along the seaward edge of a reef flat. It consists of boulders, shingle, gravel or reef rubble, commonly capped by dune sand
Random sample - a sample in which each individual in a population has the same chance of being selected as any other
Random sampling - a sampling technique where a group of subjects (a sample) is selected for study from a larger group (a population). Each individual is chosen entirely by chance and each member of the population has a known, but possibly non-equal, chance of being included in the sample. By using random sampling, the likelihood of bias is reduced
Red algae - red algae belong to the Division Rhodophycota. Most of the over 4000 species are marine.
Red tide - discoloration of surface waters, most frequently in coastal areas, caused by large concentrations of microorganisms, such as algae or cyanobacteria
Red-band disease - a disease of corals manifested by a narrow band of filamentous cyanobacteria that advances slowly across the surface of a coral, killing tissue as it progresses. The band is reddish to maroon in color
Reef base - the area below the consolidated slope extending up to 1 km but no deeper than 50 m. A synonym of talus slope
Reef block - a large, isolated rock section that has been displaced from the reef platform, reef margin, reef front zones or the non-calcium carbonate bedrock, usually resulting from storm waves
Reef complex - the entire reef structure, including reef surface lagoon deposits and off-reef deposits
Reef crest - sharp break in slope at seaward margin or edge of reef flat
Reef flat - the shallow area between the shoreline intertidal zone and the reef crest of a fringing reef
Reef front - a synonym of reef slope
Reef mound - a structure that lacks reef characteristics, such as diversification and domination stages
Reef rubble - dead, unstable coral pieces often colonized with macroalgae. This habitat often occurs landward of well-developed reef formations in the reef crest or back reef zone
Reef slope - portion of reef seaward of reef crest.
Reef system - a cluster of reefs
Reef top - the area comprising the reef flat and reef crest.
Reef system - a cluster of reefs.
Rhizome - a horizontal stem
Ribbon reef - large offshore linear reef, seaward of a fringing reef, which is linear but does not form a barrier to the land.
Rosette - rose-shaped in appearance; arranged in a fashion resembling a rose flower
Rubble zone - the shallowest part of a reef crest landward of the palmata zone. It consists of broken pieces of coral washed back by storms
Rugose - having a rough or ridged surface
Rugose corals - an extinct group of non-scleractinian corals
Rugosity - an important coral reef parameter that describes the amount of "wrinkling" or roughness of the reef profile. It is an index of substrate complexity. Areas of high complexity are likely to provide more cover for reef fishes and more places of attachment for algae, corals and various sessile invertebrates
S
Salinity - a measure of the salt concentration of water
Salt marsh - a marsh periodically flooded by marine water
Sampling - the probabilistic, systematic, or judgmental selection of a sub-element from a larger population, with the aim of approximating a representative picture of the whole
Sampling bias - the tendency of a sample to exclude some members of the sampling universe and over-represent others
Sampling unit - the sub-element of the total population selected for sampling
Sampling universe - the largest entity to be described, of which the sample is a part
Sand - coarse sediment typically found in areas exposed to currents and wave energy
Saprophyte - any plant that lives and feeds on dead organic matter
Saprotroph - an organism which feeds on dead and decaying organisms, allowing the nutrients to be recycled into the ecosystem. Fungi and bacteria are two groups with saprophytic members
Satellite colony - a colony that develops within the tissue of a parent colony and which has its own unattached skeleton
Satellite imagery - a representation of the measurement of energy emitted or reflected by the Earth in a variety of wavelengths. Earth observation imagery takes a number of forms, of which the most traditional are optical and near-infrared radiation, from about 0.4 (blue) to 2.0 (IR) micrometers. Apart from visual and near-infrared, other bands of the spectrum commonly used include thermal infrared (heat) and microwave (radar).
Satellite mapping - digital maps derived from satellite images
Scale-like corallites - corallites that form a pattern which resembles fish scales
Scatter diagram - a two-dimensional histogram showing the joint probability density of two variables within a data sample; it is used to interpret data by graphically displaying the relationship between two variables
Scleractinia - order of Cnidaria, usually producing calcareous skeletons with hexameral symmetry.
Sclerosepta - the radiating calcareous partition in the corallite of stony corals
SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) - a diving mode independent of surface air supply in which the diver uses open circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus which supplies air or breathing gases at ambient pressure
Sea state - a description of the sea surface with regard to wave action seagrass - a flowering plant, complete with leaves, a rhizome (an underground, usually horizontally-oriented stem) and a root system. They are found in marine or estuarine waters. Most seagrass species are located in soft sediments. However, some species are attached directly to rocks with root hair adhesion. Seagrasses tend to develop extensive underwater meadows
Seaward slope - the area of a barrier reef or atoll from the reef crest. It includes spurs, grooves, terraces, reef walls, etc.
SeaWiFS - Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor carried on the SeaStar satellite
Secchi depth - the depth at which a Secchi disk disappears from view as it is lowered in water Secchi disk a white disk 20-30 cm in diameter, used as a qualitative way of measuring water clarity. It is lowered from a vessel and viewed from above the surface in full solar illumination to estimate the light attenuation in the water column. This is done empirically by relating the depth at which the disk disappears to the attenuation of light
Secondary male or female - a male or female that is the result of sex change. A secondary male would be derived from a protogynous female, while a secondary female would be derived from a protandrous male
Sedentary - not moving. Many organisms, both plants and animals, spend the majority of their lives in one place
Segmentation - in many animals, the body is divided into repeated subunits called segments, such as those in centipedes, insects, and annelid worms. Segmentation is the state of having or developing this type of body plan
Serrate - saw-like; notched
Sessile - immobile because of an attachment to a substratum.
Seston - minute particulate material moving in water that is composed of both living organisms, such as plankton, and non-living matter such as plant debris and suspended soil particles
Seta - a cuticular hair arising from the outside of the exoskeleton of an invertebrate
Shelf escarpment - the edge of the bank/shelf where depth increases rapidly into deep oceanic water
Shelf reef - forms on the continental shelf of large land masses.
Shelf-edge reef - ribbon reef; large offshore linear reef, seaward of a fringing reef, which is linear but does not form a barrier to the land.
Shoal - a submerged expanse of coral reef, surrounded by deep water, which does not form a part of a barrier or fringing reef..
Shore reef - fringing reef; a shelf reef that grows close to shore. Some develop around oceanic islands.
Shoreline - the line separating land and water. It fluctuates as water rises and falls
Siliceous - composed of silicon or primarily of silicon.
Sill reef - ribbon reef; large offshore linear reef, seaward of a fringing reef, which is linear but does not form a barrier to the land.
Sipuncula - an animal phylum that contains the peanut or starworms. They are small, non-segmented benthic animals (they are not worms), some of which live in coral crevices, empty mollusk shells or marine worm tubes. Several species bore into coralline rock
Skeletal density - certain massive coral species (e.g. Porites) exhibit annual variations in the density of their calcium carbonate (CaCO3) skeleton, similar to tree rings. The annual density bands are revealed when slices of coral skeleton are X-rayed
Skeleton - a supportive or protective structure or framework of an animal, a plant, or part of an animal or plant. In animals it is an external (exoskeleton) or internal (endoskeleton) support structure, against which the force of muscles acts. Vertebrates have a skeleton of bone or cartilage; arthropods have one made of chitin; corals have one of calcium carbonate: sponges have a mass of spicules; many other invertebrates use a hydrostatic skeleton, which is an incompressible fluid-filled region of their body. In plants, the skeleton may be a rigid protective covering, as in the shell of a diatom, or the vascular system of a vascular plant
Soft coral - common name for species of the anthozoan order Alcyonacea of the subclass Octocorallia. In contrast to the hard or stony corals, most soft corals do not possess a massive external skeleton
Southern Oscillation - a large-scale atmospheric and hydrospheric fluctuation centered in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It exhibits a nearly annual pressure anomaly, alternatively high over the Indian Ocean and high over the South Pacific. Its period is slightly variable, averaging 2.33 years. The variation in pressure is accompanied by variations in wind strengths, ocean currents, sea-surface temperatures, and precipitation in the surrounding areas. El Niño occurrences are associated with the phenomenon
Spat - tiny single corallites that form immediately after the metamorphosis of planula larvae
Spawn - to produce or deposit eggs; the eggs of aquatic animals; offspring in great numbers or masses; to give forth young in large numbers
Spawning - in corals, the release of gametes into the water
Specialist - an organism which has adopted a lifestyle or niche specific to a particular set of conditions
Speciation - the evolutionary process that gives rise to a new species
Species - in sexually reproducing organisms, a species is a group of genetically related organisms, usually similar in physical appearance, that actually or potentially interbreed and are reproductively isolated from other groups
Species diversity - the number of different species in an area and their relative abundance
Species richness - the number of species in an area or biological collection.
Spicule - one of the numerous small to minute calcareous or siliceous bodies occurring in and serving to stiffen and support the tissues of various invertebrates, as in the majority of sponges, alyconarians, and many radiolarians, holothurians and compound ascidians
Spinate - spine-like or composed of spines
Split spawning - spawning occurring over consecutive nights or consecutive lunar cycles within a reef
Sponge - a multicellular animal (metazoa) below the tissue grade of construction. Sponges belong to the phylum Porifera. There are approximately 5,000 living species classified in three distinct groups, the Hexactinellida (glass sponges), the Demospongia, and the Calcarea (calcareous sponges). They are important components of a coral reef ecosystem
Spongocoel - the central body cavity of sponges, which opens to the outside by way of the osculum.
Sporangium - an organ containing or producing spores in some algae and fungi
Spore - a small reproductive cell produced by certain bacteria, algae, fungi and nonflowering plants. Spores contain at least one genome and are highly resistant to heat excess and dehydration
Sporophyll - a fertile blade in attached brown algae
Spur and groove - a system of shallow ridges (spurs) separated by deep channels (grooves) oriented perpendicular to the reef crest and extending down the upper seaward slope
SST (Sea Surface Temperature) - the temperature of the layer of seawater (approximately 0.5 m deep) nearest the atmosphere
Stenohaline - pertaining to an aquatic organism that can withstand a narrow salinity range
Stenothermal - pertaining to an aquatic organism that can withstand a narrow temperature range
Stipe - stalk or erect portion, as in some brown algae
Stochastic - random; exhibiting variability due to random events
Stolon - in corals, a horizontal polyp outgrowth from which daughter polyps are budded
Stony coral - a synonym of hard coral
Storm surge - a rise above normal water level on the open coast due to the action of wind stress on the water surface
Submarine groove - a troughlike depression with vertical to overhanging walls which cut across the reef front at right angles
Substrate - the material making up the base upon which an organism lives or to which it is attached
Subumbrella - the lower or oral surface of a medusa or jellyfish
Sula Reef - a deep water Lophelia reef located on the Sula Ridge on the Mid-Norwegian shelf at depths of 200 - 300 m. A very large deep water coral reef, it is about 13 km long, 700 m wide, and up to 35 m high
Sundarbans - the world's largest mangrove forest located in Bangladesh at the edge of the delta where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers come together
Surge channel - a deep channel in the windward side of a coral reef through which water moves in and out of the reef
Suspension feeder - An organism that feeds by capturing particles suspended in the water column.
Sweeper polyp - a polyp that acts in an aggressive manner by stinging neighboring corals and sessile invertebrates
Sweeper tentacle - A coral polyp tentacle that has an increased number of nematocysts and elongates in order to 'sting' neighboring corals and sessile invertebrates. A tool in the competition for space and resources
Swell - the persistence of a wind-formed wave after the wind ceases
Symbiont - a symbiotic organism; either of two organisms participating in a symbiotic relationship
Symbiosis - a relationship between two species of organisms in which both members benefit from the association (mutualism), or where only one member benefits but the other is not harmed (commensalism), or where one member benefits at the expense of the well-being of the other (parasitism)
Sympatric species - different species that live in the same area but are prevented from successfully reproducing by a reproductive isolating mechanism
Synecology - the branch of ecology that deals with whole communities and the interactions of the organisms within them
T
Table reef - an isolated flat-topped coral reef which reaches the surface but lacks a lagoon
Talus slope - a synonym of reef base
Temperate - region in which the climate undergoes seasonal change in temperature and moisture. Temperate regions of the earth lie primarily between 30 and 60 degrees latitude in both hemispheres
Tentacle - a finger-like evagination of the body wall. Tentacles surround the mouths of coral polyps, anemones and other invertebrates. They are used for capturing prey, defense, reproduction, gas exchange, and light absorption
Tentacle-tube-foot suspension feeder - suspension feeder that traps particles on distinct tentacles or tube feet (in echinoderms).
Tentacular lobe - a lobe at the point of insertion (beginning) of a septum
Terminal - at the end position
Terpenoid - a class of organic compound produced by soft corals for defense and for aggressive colonization of new substrates
Territoriality - the defense of a given area
Test - shell or hard outer covering of echinoderms and ascidians
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) - an especially potent marine neurotoxin, named after the order of fish from which it is most commonly associated, the Tetraodontiformes (includes the puffers, porqupine fish, blowfish, cowfish, boxfish).The toxin appears in high concentrations in the gonads, liver, intestines and skin of pufferfish. The fatality rate when injested may be as high as 60 percent. Tetradotoxin is more than 10,000 times deadlier than cyanide. Other marine and terrestrial organisms have been found to store TTX, for example, the Australian blue-ringed octopus, parrotfish, triggerfish, gobies, angelfish, ocean sunfish, globefish, seastars, starfish, xanthid and other crabs, a horseshoe crab, a number of marine snails, flatworms, tunicates, ribbonworms, mollusks and marine algae (Jania spp.) Terrestrial organisms include the Harlequin frogs (Atelopus spp.), three species of California newt and other eastern salamanders
Thallus - the vegetative body of a plant or alga that is not differentiated into organs, such as roots,stems and leaves
Theca - the calcareous wall of the corallite
Thermocline - the region below the surface layer of the ocean or lake, where the temperature gradient increases abruptly (i.e. where temperature decreases rapidly with increasing depth). A thermocline may reach the surface and become a front. It is usually an ecological barrier and its oscillations have significant consequences on population distribution and ocean productivity
Thermohaline circulation - the density-driven convective circulation system of the world's oceans. Warm Atlantic water moves northward along the axis of the Gulf Stream, and evaporation increases water density while releasing heat to the colder atmosphere in the North Atlantic. Once significantly dense, the water sinks into the deep ocean, forming a downward limb of a giant conveyor-like circulation that extends around the world's oceans
Tidal delta - a delta formed at both sides of a tidal inlet
Tidal inlet - a waterway from the open ocean into a lagoon
Tide - the periodic rising and falling of the water that results from the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun acting on the rotating earth
Tisler Reef - a deep water Lophelia reef located in the Skagerrak, the submarine border between Norway and Sweden, at depths of 74 to 155 m. It has the world's only known yellow Lophelia pertusa corals
Topographic map - a map containing contours indicating lines of equal surface elevation (relief)
Toxicant - any substance which is potentially toxic
Trade winds - a system of relatively constant low level winds that occur in the tropics. The trade winds blow from the northeast to the equator in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast to the equator in the Southern Hemisphere
Transect - a line used to survey the distribution of organisms or substrate across a given area. Sample plots or points are established along the transect for collecting data
Trophic - related to or functioning in nutrition
Trophic dynamics - the complex biological processes whereby energy and matter are passed up to successive levels of food webs
Trophic group - a group of organisms consuming resources from a similar level in the energy cycle
Trophic level - a classification system of organisms according to their means of obtaining nutrition. A segment of the food chain in which all organisms obtain food and energy in basically the same manner (e.g., photosynthesis, herbivory, or carnivory) and in which all organisms are the same number of links from the photosynthetic segment
Tropical - region in which the climate undergoes little seasonal change in either temperature or rainfall. Tropical regions of the earth lie primarily between 30 degrees north and south of the equator
Tropical Ocean Coral Bleaching Indices - indices of selected coral reef sites/regions (maintained by NOAA/NESDIS) that present satellite-obtained measurements of relevance to coral reef ecosystems
Tropical storm - a tropical cyclone with maximum winds less than 34 m/sec (75 mile per hour)
Tubiform - a shape resembling a tube
U
U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) - established by President Clinton in June, 1998, through Executive Order 13089 on Coral Reef Protection, to lead the U.S. response to this growing global environmental crisis. The USCRTF is responsible for overseeing implementation of the Executive Order, and developing and implementing coordinated efforts to: map and monitor U.S. coral reefs; research the causes and solutions to coral reef degradation; reduce and mitigate coral reef degradation from pollution, overfishing and other causes; and implement strategies to promote conservation and sustainable use of coral reefs internationally.
Umbrella - describes the body of a jellyfish or medusa
Uniramous appendage - a type of appendage that is characteristic of insects and other members of the arthropod subphylum Uniramia. It consists of an unbranched series of segments.
Upwelling - the process by which warm, less-dense surface water is drawn away from a shore by offshore currents and replaced by cold, denser water brought up from the subsurface
Urochordata (Tunicata) - a subphylum of the animal phylum Chordata that contains the ascideans (sea squirts). Most adults are sessile and bear little resemblance to the other chordates. They are common inhabitants of coral reefs and mangrove roots.
UV (ultraviolet) radiation - the region of the electromagnetic spectrum consisting of wavelengths from 1 to 400 nm.
V
Veneer reef - a reef with very little calcium carbonate accretion. A non-reef coral community
Verruca (pl. verrucae) - a small cylindrical projection arising from the corallum that contain calices; found in Pocillopora
Vitareef program - a program that was established in order to provide a standardized method of characterizing the conditions of reef corals. It can and has been used by both researchers and non-scientists to document observations of reefs at specific points in time, which can be followed up in subsequent observations to assess changes in the state of individual coral colonies, selected coral species, or a reef as a whole.
W
Water column - the open-water environment, distinct from the sea bed or shore, which may be inhabited by swimming organisms
Water vascular system - in echinoderms, a system of internal canals and appendages that are water-filled and functions as a means of locomotion
Watershed - an area of land that drains downslope to the lowest point. The water moves through a network of subterranean and surface drainage pathways which converge into streams and rivers, eventually reaching an estuary and finally the ocean. Because water moves downstream, any activity that affects the water quality, quanity, or rate of movement at one location can affect locations downstream to the ocean and out to coral reefs
Wave crest - the top of a wave
Wave height - the vertical distance between the crest and adjacent trough of a wave
Wave length - the distance between two successive wave crests or troughs
Wave trough - the low spot between two successive waves
White hole - an area along the spur and groove system (zone) where the sand channel widens considerably white pox disease - a coral disease characterized by circular lesions with coral tisue degradation on the Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata.
White skeleton - the exposed white calcium carbonate skeleton of a coral colony
White-band disease - a coral disease characterized by complete coral tissue degradation of Caribbean acroporid corals. Two species of Acroporidae are affected, the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, and the staghorn coral, A. cervicornis. The disease exhibits a sharp demarcation between apparently healthy coral tissue and exposed coral skeleton.
Windward - the side of an island or reef that faces the prevailing wind.
Worm reef - a massive structure composed of clusters of oval, table-like mounds constructed by marine polychaete worms in the family Sabellariide. They consist of all sorts of sediments consolidated by a mucoprotein cement produced by the worm. This reef may start in the intertidal zone and extend into the subtidal zone. Some are in deeper water. Unlike the colorful and ornate coral reefs, worm reefs are drab, monotonous and rounded clusters, mounds and platforms that grow upward and outward from the durable substrate from which their colonies develop. Worm reefs offer several ecological benefits. They provide feeding and browsing grounds for a diverse community of marine organisms and an ideal home for attaching plants, sponges and shelter-seeking animals. Also, unlike coral reefs, worm reefs are not restricted to the tropics
Z
Zoanthid - an anemone of the family Zoanthidae, usually found in intertidal areas and coral reefs . In some species the polyps separate from each other almost completely after budding, while in other species, the polyps are all interconnected by a common mat of tissue
Zoarium - the form of a bryozoan colony
Zonation - the occurrence of single species or groups of species in recognizable bands that might delineate a range of water depth or a range of height in the intertidal zone
Zone - a large-scale physical feature within the ecosystem. Reef zones are determined by currents, wave surge, exposure to sunlight and water depth, and may be comprised of a number of habitats
Zooid - of the distinct individuals forming a colonial invertebrate animal, such as a hydrozoan
Zoology - the scientific study of animal life. Zoological sciences include the studies of evolution, systematics, cell biology, biochemistry, micro and macro anatomy, development, genetics, physiology, ecology, biogeography, biodiversity, behavior and sociobiology
Zooplankton - animal component of the plankton community
Zooxanthellae - a group of dinoflagellates living endosymbiotically in association with one of a variety of invertebrate groups (e.g., corals).
Zooxanthellate coral - a coral that has zooxanthellae in its tissues
30 Jun 2008 at 5:41pm
Scientists report that numbers of coral trout increased rapidly after ?no-take? zones were created in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park .
5 Jul 2008 at 5:34pm
NEW YORK (AP) - Sea coral is blessed with wonderful colors, an intricate design and memories of the lapping ocean. It's no wonder that the worlds of fashion and home decor are in the midst of a love affair with it.
2 Jul 2008 at 1:19pm
This woolly reef looks harmless enough, but hides some seriously mind-stretching geometry
5 Jul 2008 at 1:10am
Are you tired of the same vacations over and over again? Then try Orlando's Discovery Cove! At Discovery Cove, located near Sea World, you can swim with a dolphin, snorkel in a coral reef, float down a tropical river and interact with different tr...
