Use this handy glossary of terms to help you better understand meanings of words used in oceanography. This goes along with the Ocean Animals Lesson Plan.
Visit the Ocean Animals Lesson Plan for fun activities. Use this glossary to discover the meaning of some words used in this lesson plan.
Adaptation
The ability to change appearance or function in order to fit the environment. Example: An octopus can change colors to blend into his background at any given time.
Community
A group of like species that live together and work together. Example: Dolphins live in communities and work together to gather food.
Disturbance
A rapid change in a familiar environment, which can cause some ocean animals to be displaced from their homes.
Echinoderm
An ocean creature that has a radiating arrangement of parts and a body wall stiffened by calcareous pieces that may stick out as spines. Example: Sea urchins and starfish are in this category.
Endangered
A species of plant or animal this close to being extinct. Example: The silver shark is considered endangered because its population has decreased by 50% over the past 10 years. (Endangered Animals of the World)
Eutrophic
Habitats having high amounts of nutrients.
Extinct
A species of plant or animal that is no longer living. Example: The Stellar sea cow is among the list of extinct animals. It used to live near the Pacific's east coast.
Food Chain
Whereas bigger ocean animals eat smaller ones, such as killer whales eat salmon, salmon eat herring, herring eat zooplankton, etc.
Habitat
A place where ocean animals make their home. It is a place that they can find sufficient food supply's and co-exist with the environment.
Mammals
A warm-blooded vertebrate animal (having a spine) characterized by a covering of hair on the skin. Mothers are able to feed their young with milk.
Marine Biology
The study of animals and plants that live in the ocean and the shoreline and how they interact with the environment.
Nekton
Organism able to swim against the current through water columns.
Oceanography
Exploration and study of the ocean.
Organism
Anything considered living with all required parts to live; an entity.
Parasite
An organism that thrives by living off of another organism, and being a negative intruder.
Phylum
Another word for species.
Predator
Something that hunts for food. Example: A shark is a predator of dolphins, seals, and other sea creatures.
Species
A group of ocean animals that are unlike any other in the ocean. They are able to reproduce and have the exact same offspring time and time again.
Territorial
Showing aggression to protect the area where an ocean animal lives.
Venom
A poisonous fluid that some animals secrete and introduce into the bodies of their victims by biting, stinging, etc. Example: An octopus uses its venom when it feels threatened.
