Glossary, Numbers, A - C
- 0-group
- the youngest cohort of a species, i.e. those less than a year old.
- Acidification
- process by which a liquid becomes more acidic (its pH decreases, and concentration of H+ ions increases)
- Aetiology
- study of causes, for example, of disease.
- Alien species
- species that would not naturally occur in a particular ecosystem.
- Ammonification
- generation of the ammonia form of nitrogen
- AMSR-E
- Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System, a sensor on the NASA EOS-Aqua satellite that measures various parameters in the ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere and on land http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/AMSR/
- Aragonitic organisms
- organisms that use the aragonite form of calcium carbonate to form their mineral parts, such as shells
- Argo profiling floats
- Floats that are designed to sit at a given depth/pressure in the ocean, move with the current and regularly return to the surface taking a measurements during their assent (profile) that are sent back via satellite communication. See http://www.metoffice.com/research/ocean/argo/index.html
- Ballast water
- water used by ships as ballast.
- Bathymetry
- description of depth across the oceans and seas.
- Benthos
- life in and on the seabed
- Bioavailability
- the way that a contaminant is stored in the environment affects how much of it is available, relative to its actual amount, to harm organisms
- Biodegradation
- the breakdown of a pollutant to a less harmful form by biological action.
- Biogenic material
- biologically useful material.
- Biogeochemical cycles
- are cycles that transfer energy and chemicals around marine ecosystems through life (bio) and its environment (geo).
- Biogeochemistry
- the chemistry of chemicals that transfer between organisms and their environment.
- Biogeographic boundaries
- the separation of zones of distinct biological difference.
- Biophysical models
- models linking biology and physics.
- Broodstock
- the stock of fish kept separate and used to produce further generations rather than as part of the product.
- Calcitic organisms
- organisms that use the calcite form of calcium carbonate to form their mineral parts, such as shells
- Carbon sequestration
- technical method of removing CO2 from the atmosphere into another form for storage.
- Central England Temperature (CET)
- this dataset of monthly temperature from central England is the longest available instrumental record of temperature in the world (since 1659). http://www.metoffice.com/research/hadleycentre/obsdata/cet.html
- Cetaceans
- specific marine mammals (whales and dolphins)
- Climate envelopes
- the climatic conditions within which an organism can exist (or thrive if that is the envelope you are considering).
- Continuous plankton recorder (CPR)
- developed by Sir Alister Hardy the CPR is a towed instrument that takes continuous samples of plankton in the ocean surface, on sections that span ocean basins. CPR surveys have been in operation for 75 years and now form a long, rich and valuable time-series of observations in the many marine ecosystems. See www.sahfos.ac.uk
- Copepod
- common form of zooplankton