Coasts and Oceans Theme Report

Australia State of the Environment Report 2001 (Theme Report)
Australian State of the Environment Committee, Authors
Published by CSIRO on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2001
ISBN 0 643 06751 5

Glossary

aggregating behaviour: The concentration of fish for unknown reasons or direct causes such as the concentration of food organisms, or for spawning.
anthropogenic: Caused by human activity.
Australia's Marine Area: The area of sea or seabed for which Australia has jurisdiction and/or rights under the Law of the Sea Convention. It includes the Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf off the Australian mainland.
barrens: An area of (usually) rocky reef without vegetation, caused by excessive grazing.
benthic: The organisms or environment of the seabed, for example plants and animals living on or in the sub-sea sediment.
benthos: Organisms living on or in association with the seafloor.
bioaccumulation: The accumulation of a chemical in plant or animal tissue at concentrations higher than in the surrounding water.
biocide: A chemical which kills animals and plants.
biodiversity: The variety of all native life-forms: the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems they form; often considered at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity.
biogeochemical: The movement of chemical elements between organisms and non-living compartments of atmosphere, aquatic systems and soils.
biota: All living organisms of a region.
broodstock: Specimen or species, either as eggs, juveniles, or adults, from which a first or subsequent generation may be produced in captivity, whether for growing as aquaculture or for release to the wild for stock enhancement.
bryozoans: Marine animals commonly known as moss animals, sea mats or (for some forms) lace coral. The majority of living byrozoans are encrusting, forming flat sheets that spread out over the substrate but others grow upwards into the water column.
bycatch (or incidental capture): The catch of species other than those targeted by fishing activity.
cephalopods: molluscs characterised by a distinct head with arms or tentacles attached to it, e.g. cuttlefish.
cetaceans: Members of the mammalian group Cetacea, including whales, dolphins and porpoises.
crustacea: A class of arthropods, which have gills and bodies covered by a hard shell (e.g. crabs, lobsters, shrimps).
demersal: Living on or near the bottom of the sea.
denitrification: The process by which nitrogen, which would otherwise be available to plants, is converted to a gaseous form and lost from the soil or water column.
dinoflagellates: A group of single-celled algae.
echinoderms: A member of the class Echinodermata comprising sea urchins and sea cucumbers. The skin of the typical species is covered with spines.
ecosystem: A dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.
ecosystem services: The role played by organisms and environmental processes in creating a healthy environment for human beings, from production of oxygen to soil formation and maintenance of water quality.
El Nio: An extensive warming of the central and eastern Pacific that leads to a major shift in weather patterns across the Pacific. In Australia (particularly eastern Australia), El Nio events are associated with an increased probability of drier conditions.
endemism: species found only in a particular region, e.g. a species endemic to South Australia is not found anywhere else.
enterococci: An indicator organism used to assess the presence of human pollution (as distinct from animal pollution) in waterways or the sea.
epifauna: invertebrates that attach themselves to rocky reefs or to the seafloor. They include hydroids, sea-pens, small bryozoans and sponges.
erosion: The removal of a fairly uniform layer of soil from the land surface by raindrop splash and/or runoff.
eutrophication: Excessive nutrients which causes high plant growth. Often resulting in nuisance algal blooms, turbid waters and subsequent decay and decomposition of the plants.
faecal coliform: The portion of the coliform bacteria group which is present in the intestinal tracts and faeces of warm-blooded animals. A common pollutant in water.
fishing effort: The amount of fishing gear of a specific type used on the fishing grounds over a given unit of time, e.g. the number of hauls of a beach seine net per day.
formation water (or production water): Water produced together with oil from the oil-bearing strata in oil wells. Usually underlies the oil in geological formations and is produced in increasing quantities as the oil is depleted.
heavy metals: Metallic elements with relatively high atomic weights 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, the major components of petroleum.
hydroids: Small invertebrates whose colonies can take many growth forms including flower-like, tree-like or feathery. Hydroids are best represented in cool temperate southern Australian seas.
imposex: The imposition of male characteristics on female organisms, as caused by some pollutants.
infrastructure: The built systems of, for example, water supply, wastewater treatment, drainage, airports, roads and ports.
invertebrates: Animals without internal skeletal structure.
leachate: A soluble substance that is washed out of the soil.
Lyngbya: A toxic marine cyanobacterium (blue-green algae) that appears to tolerate a wide range of salinity.
macroalgae: Large algae, e.g. kelp.
mariculture: Fish farming or aquaculture of marine animals or plants.
middens: Very old rubbish pits of former inhabitants of an area, usually Indigenous.
nutrients: Substances required for the growth of plants, e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus.
organochlorines: Complex organic molecules with chlorine atoms attached (e.g. pesticides).
organotin: Highly toxic chemicals comprising tin combined with organic molecules, used in antifouling paints such as tributyl tin.
pathogens: An organism that can produce disease.
pelagic: Associated with the open sea, particularly the surface or middle depths of the water column, e.g. fish swimming freely in the open sea.
phytoplankton: Small plants that are suspended in water and free-drifting.
pollutants: A substance in excess in an ecosystem or not belonging to an ecosystem.
polychaete worms: A class of segmented worms with several seta (bristles) per segment. Very widespread in the marine environment.
ppb: parts per billion.
Ramsar Convention: The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, providing the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
sessile: Organisms fixed in one position to a substrate.
substrate: A surface on which organisms live or a substance serving a biochemical reaction.
syngnathids: A family of fish including the seahorses and pipefish.
taxa: The named classification unit to which individuals or sets of species are assigned, such as species, genus and order.
temperate zone: The zone where the temperatures are mild.
threatened species: A species of plant or animal threatened with extinction either locally or globally, without defining its formal status as to the degree of threat.
toxicant: A substance that could cause adverse effects in a living organism.
upwelling: The phenomenon of deep water rising to the surface, usually bringing nutrients which can increase productivity.
vulnerable species: A species of plant or animal vulnerable to extinction, but carrying a lower level of concern than ' endangered'.