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8. Future directions in marine environmental management - continued

Glossary of technical terms

absorption: Disappearance through incorporation in something else.

acute: Having a sudden onset, lasting a short time. (Opposite to chronic).

adsorption: The retention of materials on the surface of solid particles, including organisms and substrates.

anthropogenic: Created by humans.

aquaculture: Cultivation of fish, molluscs, and other aquatic organisms in fresh or salt water for human use.

Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ): Proclaimed 200 nautical mile wide zone around the coast within which Australia controls domestic and foreign access to fish resources.

bathymetry: The measurement of ocean depths to determine the sea floor topography.

benthos (benthic): All marine organisms living upon or in the bottom of the sea.

bioaccumulation: The process by which chemicals are taken up by organisms leading to a concentration of the substance in their tissues.

bioavailability: That portion of a chemical compound or element that can be taken up readily by living organisms.

bioconcentration: Ability of organisms to selectively accumulate certain substances within their bodies.

biogenic: Materials produced by the actions of living organisms.

biodiversity: The variety of all life forms: the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems they form. It is a concept that emphasises the inter-relatedness of the biological world. It is often considered at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity.

biogeographic: Relating to large regions with distinct fauna and flora.

biological oxygen demand: Measure of oxygen depletion in water due to bacterial decay of organic pollutants. Gives an indication of how much organic matter is in the water.

biomagnification: Build-up of contaminants in organisms in successively higher trophic levels.

biomass: As measured by ecologists, the dried weight of all organic matter in the ecosystem.

bioregion: A large area with distinct fauna and flora.

biota: Collectively, the plants, micro-organisms and animals of a region.

bloom: A proliferation of plants (such as macroalgae or phytoplankton) during favourable growing conditions generated by nutrient or sunlight availability.

by-catch: Species taken incidentally in a fishery where other species are the target. By-catch species may be of lesser value than the target species, and are often discarded.

cetaceans: Members of the mammalian group Cetacea, including whales, dolphins and porpoises.

chlorophenols: A group of toxic chemicals used as biocides, herbicides and insecticides, and most commonly, for wood preservation.

chlorophyta: The green algae.

chronic: Having a continuous or persistent effect. (Opposite to acute).

coastal: The region extending seaward and inland from the shoreline that is influenced by, and exerts an influence on, the seas and their resources and biota.

coastal strip: Various definitions. Taken here as the area extending three kilometres inland (or further inland where there are marine sediments) from the low tide mark.

coastal zone: Various definitions. Taken here as the area of land and sea, extending landward to the edge of the coastal-draining rivers, and seaward to the edge of the 200 mile EEZ.

coliform: A group of bacteria used as an indicator of sanitary quality in water.

contaminant: Any physical, chemical or biological substance (usually man-made) which is introduced into the environment. Does not imply an effect (see pollution).

crustaceans: A class of arthropods which have gills and bodies covered by a hard shell (e.g. crabs, lobsters, shrimps, barnacles).

DDT: An organochlorine insecticide used to control a variety of insect pests, but now banned in some countries because of its persistence in the environment.

dinoflagellates: A group of single-celled algae.

dioxins: Chemical compounds largely formed as waste products or by-products in the manufacture of other chemicals (e.g. by municipal incinerators, motor vehicles, herbicides and sewage sludge). Some are hazardous to humans at relatively low levels.

dredge spoil: Sediments and materials removed from the seabed as a result of dredging activity

ecology: Study of living organisms and their relationships to one another and the environment.

ecologically sustainable development (ESD): Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A development which is compatible with the continuing functioning of essential ecological processes.

ecosystem: The physical and chemical environment of a community of organisms, and all the interactions among those organisms and between organisms and their environment.

ecotourism: Nature-based tourism that involves education and interpretation of the natural environment and is managed to be ecologically sustainable.

ecotoxicology: The study of the fate and effects of pollutants in natural ecosystems.

effluent: A complex waste material which is a by-product of human activity (e.g. Iiquid industrial discharge or sewage).

endemic: 'Native' species confined to a given region (e.g. a species endemic to southern Australia is not found anywhere else).

endangered species: A plant, animal or micro-organism that is in immediate danger of biological extinction (see threatened species).

environmental impact assessment (EIA): Formal process or document prepared primarily to identify potential impacts of proposed laws or projects that may affect the environment.

estuaries: The areas of inlets or mouths of rivers which are influenced by the tides and where salt and fresh waters

eutrophication: Increase in the nutrient status of a water body, and consequently the rapid growth of plants, both natural and as a result of human activity. Excessive plant production may deplete oxygen and suffocate animals.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Concept proposed at the UN Law of the Sea Conference, whereby coastal states assume jurisdiction over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in their adjacent section of continental shelf taken arbitrarily to be a band extending 200 nautical miles from the shore or baseline.

food chain: A specific nutrient and energy pathway in ecosystems proceeding from producer to consumer.

food web: Complex intermeshing of individual food chains in an ecosystem.

ghost fishing: Damaged / abandoned fishing gear (e.g. nets) which continue to trap fish etc.

gillnets: Fishing nets designed to ensnare fish by the gills.

grazers: Animals which eat plants (e.g. algae) by cropping.

guideline: Directing principle for action. Also, numerical concentrations to maintain a designated use (e.g. water use).

habitat: A geographic area that can provide for the key activities of life.

hazardous waste: Any harmful solid, liquid or gaseous waste product of manufacturing or other human activities which by its nature is inherently dangerous to handle or dispose of.

heavy metals: Metallic elements with relatively high atomic weights (over 5.0 specific gravity), such as lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. Generally toxic in relatively low concentrations to plant and animal life.

hydrocarbons: Organic molecules containing hydrogen and carbon. Major components of petroleum released during the incomplete combustion of organic fuels.

inorganic: Matter other than plant or animal, and not containing a combination of carbon/hydrogen/oxygen as in living things.

invertebrates: Animals without internal skeletal structure. Range from protozoans to sea squirts.

littoral: Of or pertaining to a shore, especially a seashore. The specific zone of the sea floor Iying between tide levels.

Iongline: A fishing line consisting of many hooks or lures which may be bottom set or drifting.

macroalgae: Large algae (e.g. kelp).

marine environment: The maritime area extending, in the case of watercourses, up to the freshwater limit and including intertidal zones and the shoreline, estuary, bay, harbour, nearshore and offshore waters.

marine mammals: Animals of the ClassMammalia having glands for nourishment of young, and living in or depending upon the sea (e.g. whales, seals, dugongs).

micro-organism: Any microscopic organism, including bacteria, viruses, single-celled algae and protozoans.

monitoring: Routine counting, testing or measuring of environmental factors or biota to determine their status or condition.

nearshore: The zone extending seaward from the shore to a distance where the water column is under minimal influence from continental conditions.

nitrification: The process whereby ammonia compounds etc. are oxidised to nitrites or nitrates, especially by bacterial action.

non point-source pollution: Diffuse source of pollution such as an eroding field, urban and suburban lands, and forests. (Compare with point-source pollution).

nutrients: Elements or compounds essential as raw materials for organic growth and development such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus.

oceanography: The scientific study and exploration of the oceans and seas in all their aspects, including all processes in the oceans and interactions and relations with earth and the universe.

offshore: The comparatively flat zone of variable width extending from the outer margin of the shore to the edge of the continental shelf.

organic: Of chemical compounds based on carbon chains or rings, and also containing hydrogen with or without oxygen, nitrogen or other elements.

organochlorine: A chlorine containing hydrocarbons. Includes many pesticides and industrial chemicals.

organotins: Organic chemicals bonded to the tin atom. A powerful biocidal agent against a wide spectrum of fouling and boring organisms (mainly as tributyl tins). High toxicity to all marine organisms.

pelagic: Associated with the surface or middle depths of a body of water.

phaeophyta: Brown algae or seaweeds.

pinnipeds: The seals, sea lions and walruses.

plankton: Aquatic, free drifting, suspended organisms (plants: phytoplankton; animals: zooplankton).

point-source pollution: Easily discernible stationary source of pollution such as a factory. (Compare with non-point source pollution).

pollution: The introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment, including estuaries, which results or is likely to result in such deleterious effects as to harm living resources and marine life, be hazardous to human health, hinder marine activities, including fishing and other marine uses, or impair the quality of sea water and reduce amenities.

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): Group of chlorinated organic compounds, that are non-corroding and resistant to heat and biological degradation and used as insulation in electrical equipment. Capable of biomagnification; disrupt reproduction in some species.

primary waste-water treatment: First step in sewage treatment to remove large solid objects by screens (filters) and sediment and organic matter in settling chambers (see secondary and tertiary waste-water treatment).

protozoa- Group of single-celled animals.

rare species: Of small population size. May or may not be at risk of becoming endangered.

recolonisation: Reappearance of a population of organisms in a given location or habitat.

red tide: A reddish discolouration of coastal surface waters due to concentrations of certain toxin-producing dinoflagellates (microscopic planktonic organisms) and often a cause of major fish kills and paralytic shellfish poisoning.

rhodophyta: The red algae or seaweeds.

secondary waste-water treatment: After primary treatment, removal of biodegradable organic matter from sewage using bacteria and other micro-organisms, inactivated sludge or trickle filters. Also removes some of the phosphorus (30'~0) and nitrate (50%).

sediment: Soil particles, sand and other mineral or organic matter eroded from land and carried in surface waters.

sessile: Organisms fixed in one position to a substrate.

shellfish: An aquatic invertebrate, such as a mollusc or crustacean, that has a shell or exoskeleton. Usually refers to molluscs such as clams, mussels.

siltation: Sediments deposited by water in channels, harbours etc.

species: A group of plants, animals or micro-organisms that have a high degree of similarity and generally can interbreed only among themselves.

substrate: (Biological) Base of substance upon which an organism is growing. (Hydrological) The bottom material of a waterway.

subtidal: Below the low-water mark.

supratidal: Above high-water mark and the spray zone.

surfactant: A material that facilitates and accentuates the emulsifying, wetting and other surface-modifying properties of substances.

suspended solids: Any solid substance present in water in an undissolved state, usually contributing directly to turbidity.

tailings: Second grade or waste rock fragments derived from screening or processing of raw ores.

tertiary waste-water treatment: Removal of nitrates, phosphates, chlorinated compounds, salts, acids, metals and toxic organics after secondary treatment.

thermocline: Region below the surface layer of the sea, where temperature declines rapidly with increasing depth.

threatened species: Plant, animal or micro-organisms which may be common in parts of their range but are severely depleted in others.

toxicity: The inherent potential or capacity of a material to cause adverse effects in a living organisms.

toxic industry: One which manufactures, utilises, or produces as a by-product any substance which may adversely affect the health of organisms.

trophic: Relating to processes of energy and nutrient transfer from one or more organisms to others in an ecosystem.

turbidity: The cloudy conditions caused by suspended solids in liquid.

uptake: A process by which materials are transferred to an aquatic organism.

waste-water: Water that carries wastes from homes, businesses, and industries; a mixture of water and dissolved or suspended solids.

wetlands: Land areas along fresh and salt water (coastal wetlands, such as salt marshes, tidal basins and mangrove swamps) that are flooded all or part of the time.

Major Acronyms

ABRS Australian Biological Resources Study

ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics

AGSO Australian Geological Survey Organisation

AMSA Australian Maritime Safety Authority

ANCA Australian Nature Conservation Agency

ANZECC Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council

APEA Australian Petroleum Exploration Association

ATSIC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission

BRS Bureau of Resource Science

BTCE Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics

CALM Department of Conservation and Land Management (WA)

CEPA Commonwealth Environment Protection Agency

CoA Commonwealth of Australia

CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

DASET Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories (Commonwealth)

DEST Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories (formerly DASET)

EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone

ESD Ecologically Sustainable Development

FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

GBRMP Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

GBRMPA Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

GDP Gross Domestic Product

HORSCERA House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment, Recreation and the Arts

IMO International Maritime Organisation

IOC International Oceanic Commission

IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources - World Conservation Union

MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

MPA Marine Protected Area

NATPLAN National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil

NP National Park

PAHs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls

RAC Resource Assessment Commission

SARDI South Australian Research and Development Institute

SOMER State of the Marine Environment Report (for Australia)

TAFE Technical and Further Education

TBT tributyl tin

UN United Nations

UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

WCED World Commission on Environment and Development