Oceans: Glossary

A

Algae

a type of plant that does not have stems or leaves

altitude

height

anemone

marine animal that has a tentacles that surround a mouth - has a flower like appearance

atoll

a circular series of islands left over from a fallen volcano

attribute

quality or characteristic

B

barnacle

a small shelled crustacean that attaches itself to boats, rocks and other solid objects

bends

a condition in which carbon dioxide forms bubbles in the blood

bulge

bump

C

Coriolis Effect

a force on the earth created by the earth turning on its axis which effects the oceans and winds

carnivore

a meat eating animal

chemical

a substance

circulate

mix

climate

long range weather

clockwise

going in the direction of a clock

coastal

along the coast or shore

composition

structure

compress

squeeze together

condense

make smaller

consumption

to take in - eat or drink

continental shelf

shallow part of the ocean floor near the shoreline

continental slope

steeper portion of the ocean floor after the continental shelf

continents

large land masses on the crust

coral

a marine animal that resembles a rocklike plant

counterclockwise

going in the opposite direction of a clock

current

a river-like movement of water that flows in the ocean

cyclone

hurricane

D

decompose

to break down into parts

dense

thick

digest

to break food into its nutritional parts

displace

to move and leave a space

dissolved

to break down

E

ecosystem

the interaction between living and nonliving organisms in a community

element

nature, predators, weather, etc

erosion

the moving rocks by wind, water, etc

evaporate

the heating of liquid that changes it to vapor

F

food chain

a system that carries nutrition through living organisms

food web

a more complex system but similar to a food chain

friction

the rubbing of surfaces together

G

generate

create

geographically

related to land and its natural features

gravity

the pull between bodies

guyots

a weathered volcano that has a flattened top

H

hazardous

dangerous

herbivore

plant eating animal

hurricane

a huge ocean storm

I

industry

business activity

inhabit

live

internal organ

parts of a body’s inside - intestines, stomach, etc

J

jet stream

strong, concentrated winds that generally move westward

K

kelp

a brown cold water seaweed

L

landslide

the falling of material from a mountain or higher area

low pressure area

an area of warm air where the weight and pushing force of the air is reduced

M

manganese

brittle element that makes steel strong

meteor

space debris

migration

seasonal journey

mineral

non-living solid

monsoon

a wind that blows seasonally in Asia

N

nutrients

good parts of food

O

oceanographer

scientist who studies oceans

omnivore

animal that eats plants and animals

P

penetrate

go inside or enter

photosynthesis

process where plants use the sunlight to create sugar

phytoplankton

one celled plants life in the ocean

pollution

harmful substances that get into the environment

precipitation

rain, snow, sleet or hail

predator

animals that hunt their food

R

researcher

scientist who studies or investigates

resource

supply

restrict

limit

S

salinity

saltiness

sandbar

a gathering of sand caused by wave action

scuba

equipment for diving

seagrass

type of ocean plant with grass-like features

sediments

material that settles to the bottom of a liquid, often sand or soil, ground rock and minerals

shoreline

coast

starfish

5 armed sea animal resembling a star

sunlit zone

shallow area of the ocean that gets sunlight

surf

breaking waves on a beach or on rocks

T

technology

the science of inventing that creates practical outcomes

tectonic plates

plates of the earth's crust that move on the mantle

tide

the regular movement of ocean water brought on by the gravity of the sun and moon

tide pool

small pools of water that form near the ocean - small sea life often grows in them

transport

move or carry

tsunami

large ocean wave caused by earthquakes

typhoon

hurricane

V

vertically

upright

violent

forceful

W

water cycle

the hydrologic cycle in which water goes through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation

wavelength

distance from one wave to the next

weathering

breaking down of matter by wind or water, etc

Z

zooplankton

one celled animals