Marine Resources Assessment for the Marianas Operating ... - SPREP

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
Digitize—encoding geographic features into a digital geographically referenced form
Dimorphic—having two different forms
Dioecious—pertaining to an organism in which male and female reproductive systems are in different
individuals
Display—any behavior that conveys information, usually to members of the same species or to
predators; often used during mating or territory defense
Distinct population segment—a population segment of fish, wildlife, or plants that is “discrete” (i.e.,
separated from other populations of its species or subspecies) and “significant” (i.e., essential to the longterm
conservation status of its species or subspecies)
Diurnal—active or occurring during daylight hours; having a daily cycle
Dorsal—relating to the upper surface of an animal
Dredge spoils—materials dredged out of an area
Drive fishery—small cetaceans (such as pilot whales) are maneuvered into a confining situation where
they are either entrapped or immediately driven ashore and killed
Dry season⎯the period extending from January through June in tropical climates. The dry season is
characterized by steady tradewinds and low rainfall
Echinoderms⎯phylum of marine invertebrates with radial symmetry, a calcareous endoskeleton, and a
water vascular system; sea stars and sea urchins are common examples
Echinoid⎯referring to echinoderms, e.g., sea urchins and sand dollars
Echolocation—the production of high-frequency sound waves and reception of echoes to locate objects
and investigate the surrounding environment
Ecosystem—a system of ecological relationships in a local environment comprising both organisms and
their nonliving environment, intimately linked by a variety of biological, chemical, and physical processes
Eddy—the circular movement of water
Elasmobranch—fishes of the class Chondrichthyes that are characterized by having a cartilaginous
skeleton; includes sharks, skates, and rays
El Niño—periodic movement of warmer than usual water in the southeastern Pacific Ocean towards the
west coasts of the Americas; typically occurs in December or January and is the result of the Southern
Oscillation
El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)⎯the climatic phenomenon that causes changes in wind and
current patterns (reversal of the Pacific equatorial currents) that leads to changed ocean temperatures
and weather patterns over vast distances; leads to the disruption of coastal upwelling and die-offs of
plankton, fish, sea birds, and marine mammals
Elliptical—rounded like an egg
Embayment—an indentation in the shoreline that forms a bay
Encrusting—form a crust or a hard layer
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