Human Impact Vocabulary - marine science

Eutrophication – When too many nutrients (like fertilizer runoff) enter the water, causing too much algae to grow.

Hypoxia – Low oxygen in the water, making it hard for marine life to survive.

Dead zone – An area in the ocean with so little oxygen that most sea life can’t live there.

Toxic algae – Algae that produce harmful substances that can poison marine animals and humans.

Harmful algal bloom – A big, fast growth of algae that can harm marine life and water quality.

Keystone species – A species that plays a big role in keeping its ecosystem balanced.

Invasive species – A non-native species that spreads quickly and harms the local environment.

Microplastics – Tiny plastic particles that come from larger plastics breaking down. Animals often eat them by mistake.

Biodegradable – Can naturally break down into harmless materials over time.

Persistent – Stays in the environment for a long time without breaking down.

Pollutants – Harmful substances that get into the environment and damage ecosystems.

Stormwater runoff – Rainwater that runs off roads and lawns, carrying pollution into waterways.

Domestic sewage – Wastewater from homes (like from toilets and sinks).

Sludge – Thick, leftover waste from sewage treatment.

Dispersants – Chemicals used to break up oil spills in the ocean.

Biological magnification – When pollutants build up in animals as they move up the food chain.

Trawls – Large nets pulled across the seafloor to catch fish, often damaging habitats.

Longlines – Fishing lines with many hooks used to catch big fish.

Gill nets – Nets that trap fish by their gills.

Purse seines – Large nets used to catch groups of fish by surrounding them.

Bycatch – Animals caught by accident while fishing for something else.

Ghost fishing – When lost or abandoned fishing gear keeps catching animals.

Stock – The population of a species that is fished.

Sustainable yield – The amount of fish that can be caught without harming the population.

Maximum sustainable yield – The biggest amount of fish that can be taken while keeping the population healthy.

Fishing Effort – How much fishing is happening (like the number of boats or hours spent fishing).

Catch-effect curve – A graph that shows how fish catch rates change as effort increases.

Waste reduction – Cutting down how much waste we create.

Overfishing – Catching too many fish, causing their numbers to drop.

Marine protected areas – Parts of the ocean where fishing or other activities are limited to protect sea life.