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

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
Species of concern—species about which NMFS has some concerns regarding status and threats, but
for which insufficient information is available to indicate a need to list the species under the Endangered
Species Act
Spheroid—earth shaped
Spicule—a small needlelike calcareous or siliceous form found in sponges, radiolarians, chitons, and
echinoderms that acts to support the tissue or provide a protective covering
Sponges—any of numerous primitive, chiefly marine animals of the phylum Porifera, characteristically
having a porous skeleton composed of fibrous material or siliceous or calcareous spicules and often
forming irregularly shaped colonies attached to an underwater surface
Spreading half-rate—the motion of one plate away from the spreading axis over a period of time
Standard deviation (S.D.)—a statistical measure of the amount by which a set of values differs from the
arithmetical means; simply, how widely values are dispersed from the mean
Stenella—in the Pacific, it is the genus of oceanic dolphins consisting of striped, pantropical spotted, and
spinner dolphins, which are similar in appearance
Stock—a genetically separate population of a species (biological stock) or a discrete population subject
to management (management stock)
Stock structure—the genetic diversity of a stock
Stranding—the act where marine mammals or sea turtles accidentally come ashore, either alive or dead
Strategic stock—any marine mammal stock: (1) from which the level of direct human-caused mortality
exceeds the potential biological removal level; (2) which is declining and likely to be listed as threatened
under the Endangered Species Act; or (3) which is listed as threatened or endangered under the
Endangered Species Act or as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act
Subadult—maturing individuals that are not yet sexually mature
Subduction—a process by which one tectonic plate descends beneath another. The surface expression
of such a process may by an island-arc system or a folded mountain range
Sublittoral—benthic region extending from mean low waters to a depth of about 200 meters
Submarine canyon—deep, steep-sided valley cut into the continental shelf or slope
Subnertitic zone—the benthic environment extending from the shoreline across the continental shelf to
the shelf break
Subpopulations—an identifiable fraction or subdivision of a population
Subsistence fishing—fishing primarily to obtain for personal use rather than for sale or recreation
Substrate—the material to which an organism is attached or in which it grows and lives; also, the
underlying layer or substance
Subtidal—marine or estuarine environment that lies below mean low-water; always submerged in a
tidally-influenced area
Subtropical—the regions lying between the tropical and temperate latitudes
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