NOAA Ship RAINIER tied up at the Pacific Marine Center
This glossary is designed to serve as a central reference point for scientific terms and language used throughout the website. Indicators and other resources relevant to each term will be linked under each definition.
Altimeter
A tool that measures the height of something relative to a reference surface.
Source: NOAA Ocean Service, NOAA Satellites
Related Indicators: Sea Level
Angler Trip
A marine recreational fishing trip that is commonly carried out in one of three fishing modes: 1) a shore-based fishing trip; 2) by private or rental boat; or 3) on a for-hire fishing boat.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Recreational Fishing, Coastal Tourism
Aquaculture
The breeding, rearing, and harvesting of animals and plants in all types of water environments. An important practice for supplying our nation's seafood.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Coastal Employment, SST
Beach Closure
Closure of a beach as a result of one or multiple varieties of pollution sources such as, but not limited to: stormwater runoff after rainfall, pet an wildlife waste, waste from boats, leaking septic systems, malfunctions at wastewater treatment plants or broken sewer lines, overflows from sewer systems, and/or harmful algal blooms.
Related Indicators: Beach Closures, Coastal Tourism
Billion Dollar Disaster
A weather or climate event in the United States that causes at least $1 billion in damages. This measurement is intended to show the impact of extreme weather and climate events on the economy in inflation adjusted dollars.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Related Indicators: Billion Dollar Disasters
Bycatch
The catching and discarding of animals that fishermen do not want, cannot sell, or are not allowed to keep. This can include fish, dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and seabirds that accidentally become hooked or entangled in fishing gear.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Commercial Fishing, Recreational Fishing, Marine Mammals
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a gas produced when an organic carbon compound (such as wood) or fossilized organic matter (such as coal, oil, or natural gas) is burned in the presence of oxygen.
Related Indicators: Ocean Acidification
Chlorophyll-a
A green pigment that phytoplankton use to absorb sunlight. This is the same pigment that makes tree leaves appear green.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Chlorophyll-a, Forage Fish
Coral Bleaching
When corals expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues as a result of warm water temperatures, causing the coral to turn completely white.
Source: NOAA National Ocean Service
Related Indicators: Marine Heatwaves, SST, Coral Reefs
Degree Days
A unit of measure for recording how hot or how cold it has been over a 24-hour period that is measured by calculating the mean temperature for the day and then comparing the mean temperature to a base value.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service
Related Indicators: Marine Heatwaves, SST
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
The ESA was signed on December 28, 1973 and provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend. The ESA replaced the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969. Congress has amended the ESA several times.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Feedback Loop
When the output of a process affects the inputs to that process either directly or indirectly. Feedback loops can be negative (outputs decrease the process) or positive (outputs increase the process).
Source: NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory
Related Indicators: Ocean Acidification
Fishing Engagement
The strength of fishing presence in a community measured using fishing activity. A high rank/score indicators greater fishing engagement. Commercial fishing engagement is measured using number of permits, fish dealers, and vessel landings. Recreational fishing engagement is measured using fishing activity estimates.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Fishing Engagement, Commercial Fishing, Recreational Fishing
Forage Fish (or Species)
Serving as prey for larger, often more valuable species such as game fish, sea birds, and marine mammals. Forage species are often small fish and invertebrates that feed on smaller organisms such as plankton.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Forage Fish
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Gross domestic product - the value of the final goods and services produced in the United States.
Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis
Related Indicators: Coastal Tourism, Coastal Employment, Commercial Fishing
Landings
The number or poundage of fish unloaded by commercial fishermen or brought to shore by recreational fishermen for personal use. Landings are reported at the locations at which fish are brought to shore.
The part of the catch that is selected and kept during the sorting procedures on board vessels and successively discharged at dockside.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Commercial Fishing, Recreational Fishing
Marine Heatwave Event
Defined by a commonly used metric where temperatures exceed the 90th percentile of 30-year historic values for five or more days in a row.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Related Indicators: Marine Heatwaves, SST
Marine Heatwave Spatial Coverage
The spatial coverage indicator for marine heatwaves is calculated as the daily fraction of the total Large Marine Ecosystem area that is affected, averaged over each month.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Related Indicators: Marine Heatwaves, SST
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
Marine Mammal Protection Act - Law passed by Congress in 1972 to establish a national policy to prevent human activities that caused marine mammal species and population stocks to decline below a significant functional level in the ecosystem.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Overfished Stock (Legal Term)
- An overfished stock or stock complex “whose size is sufficiently small that a change in management practices is required to achieve an appropriate level and rate of rebuilding.” A stock or stock complex is considered overfished when its population size falls below the minimum stock size threshold (MSST). A rebuilding plan is required for stocks that are deemed overfished.
- A stock is considered overfished when exploited beyond an explicit limit past which its abundance is considered “too low” to ensure safe reproduction. In many fisheries, the term is used when biomass has been estimated to be below a biological reference point that is used as the signpost defining an “overfished condition.”
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Overfished Stocks
Overfishing (Ecological Term)
- According to the National Standard Guidelines, “overfishing occurs whenever a stock or stock complex is subjected to a rate or level of fishing mortality that jeopardizes the capacity of a stock or stock complex to produce maximum sustainable yield (MSY) on a continuing basis.” Overfishing is occurring if the maximum fishing mortality threshold (MFMT) is exceeded for 1 year or more.
- In general, the action of exerting fishing pressure (fishing intensity) beyond the agreed optimum level. A reduction of fishing pressure would, in the medium term, lead to an increase in the total catch.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Ecosystem Overfishing
Partial Pressure
The pressure exerted by a gas in a mixture. Commonly used to describe the amount of carbon dioxide that is dissolved in seawater.
Source: NOAA Ocean Acidification Program
Related Indicators: Ocean Acidification
Potential Biological Removal (PBR)
Potential biological removal - the maximum number of animals, not including natural mortalities, that may be removed from a marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population. This term was defined in the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Marine Mammals
pH
A measure of free hydrogen ions in water to determine acidity. pH measurements range from 0-14 with 0 being the most acidic, 7 being neutral, and 14 being the most basic.
Source: NOAA Ocean Acidification Program
Related Indicators: Ocean Acidification
Real Wages
The purchasing power of the income of an individual, group, or nation, computed by adjusting money income to price changes.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Related Indicators: Coastal Tourism, Coastal Employment
Recreational Fishing
Fishing for leisure rather than to sell fish (commercial fishing) or for subsistence.
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Recreational Fishing, Fishing Engagement, Coastal Tourism
Reefs (Coral Reefs)
Coral reefs originate when free-swimming coral larvae (planulae) attach to the submerged edges of islands, continents, or banks. As the corals grow, expand, and multiply, reefs may form large structures in four general categories - patch reefs, fringing reefs, barrier reefs, or atolls.
Source: NOAA CORIS
Related Indicators: Coral Reefs
Salinity
A ratio of salt (in grams) to liter of water using the unit parts per thousand (ppt).
Related Indicators: Ocean Acidification
Storm Surge
An abnormal water level rise above the predicted astronomical tide that is generated by a storm.
Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center
Related Indicators: Billion Dollar Disasters, Sea Level, Coastal Population
Strategic Stock
A marine mammal stock: 1.) for which the level of direct human-caused mortality exceeds the potential biological removal (PBR) level; or 2.) that is declining and is likely to be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the foreseeable future; or 3.) that is listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or is designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
Source: NOAA Fisheries
Related Indicators: Marine Mammals
Total Alkalinity
A measure of the concentration of buffering molecules like carbonate and bicarbonate in the seawater that can neutralize acid.
Source: NOAA Ocean Acidification Program
Zooplankton
Microscopic animals (krill, sea snails, pelagic worms, etc.), the young of larger invertebrates and fish, and weak swimmers like jellyfish that are unable to swim against tides and currents. Zooplankton are an important food source for many larger fish, seabirds, and mammals in the ecosystem.
Source: NOAA National Ocean Service
Related Indicators: Zooplankton Biomass