Unit 4.0 vocab - ESS

Water budget

Water budget

a quantative estimate of the amount of water in different storages - the distribution of water on Earth - 97% salt, 3% fresh - mostly in ice caps and glaciers (68.7%)

Solar radiation

the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun

Ocean Circulation System/ Great Oceanic Conveyor Belt

the huge oceanic currents which circulate the globe

Thermohaline Currents

the movement of ocean currents due to differences in temperature and salinity in different regions of water.

ENSOs (El Nino)

trade winds weaken allowing warm waters to spread to the east. This causes warm are to rise in the middle of the Pacific. Cold mineral rich water is pushed up in the middle of the Pacific causing fish to be found too far off shore for fishermen in small boats

Upwellings

a process in which deep, cold water rises toward the surface

Pollution

the addition of any substance or form of energy (e.g. heat, sound, radioactivity) to the environment at a rate faster than the environment can accommodate it by dispersion, breakdown, recycling or storage in some harmless form.

Human activity accelerates process by the addition of sewage

detergents and agricultural fertilisers. Results in excess growth of plants and phytoplankton

Algal Bloom

a large accumulation of algae on the surface of a body of water.

water pollution

the contamination of bodies of water by pollutants either directly or indirectly

Anoxic

pertaining to seawater or fresh water that is depleted of dissolved oxygen.

Macro-Invertebrates

animals, without backbones that can be seen with the naked eye. Examples include water fleas, dragonfly nymphs, mayflies and worms.

Oxygen probe

Used to measure BOD

Sewage

Animal waste products including in faeces which create a biochemical oxygen demand

Waste management strategies

methods of reducing the impact of waste and pollution on the environment, including the construction of sewers, monitoring of pollutants in the environment and implementation of regulations

UNCLOS

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. (As of June 2016, 167 countries and the European Union are parties).

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

represents the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria and other microorganisms while they decompose organic matter under aerobic conditions at a specified temperature.

Eutrophication

Process which occurs when the environment becomes enriched with nutrients, increasing the amount of plant and algae growth. Human activity can accelerate the process by the addition of sewage, detergents and agricultural fertilisers.

Dead Zones

areas of water bodies where aquatic life cannot survive because of low oxygen levels.

Red Tides

caused by microscopic algae that produce toxins that kill fish and make shellfish dangerous to eat.

Biotex Index

scale for showing the quality of an environment by indicating the types and abundances of organisms present in a representative sample of the environment

Indicator Species

An organism whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.

Aquatic Pollutants

substances that contaminate water sources such as chemicals, trash, bacteria, and parasites.

Rainwater harvesting

The accumulation and storage of rainwater for reuse on site rather than allowing it to run off

The continental shelf

The landmass covered with shallow water,, extending away from the edge of the continental crust

Aquaculture

the farming, breeding, rearing and harvesting of plants and animals in all types of water environments including ponds rivers lakes and the ocean.

Biorights

the rights of organisms and ecological systems

Maximum sustainable yield

the maximum amount that can be taken without depleting the resource or population over the long-term

Optimum sustainable yield

the rate of increase in natural capital that can be exploited without depleting the original stock or its potential for replenishment

Aquifer

A body of rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater.

Fisheries

Areas of water where commerical fishing cna be found. Can be wild or farmed.

Desalination (desalinisation)

The process of removing salt from sea water to make fresh water for human consumption. It is associated with environmental risks.

Irrigation

The artificial watering (i.e. not through rainwaterwater) of crops.