Blue Whale
Glossary
-The mission of an AZA Species Survival Plan® (SSP) Program is to cooperatively manage specific, and typically threatened or endangered, species population withinAZA-accredited Zoos and Aquariums, Certified Related Facilities, andSustainability Partners.
Baleen (noun)
-fibrous, elastic structure that enables species of whales to filter food from the water
Biological (adj)
-of or relating to biology or living organisms
Biotic potential is the ability of a population of living species to increase under ideal environmental conditions – sufficient food supply, no predators, and a lack of disease.
Breed (verb)
-to produce (Offspring); procreate; engender
Calve (verb)
-to give birth to a calf
Cetaceans (adj)
-belonging to the Cetacea, and order of aquatic, chiefly marine mammals, including the whales and dolphins
Consumer (noun)
-A person or thing that eats or uses something
Critical Habitat (noun)
-Specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing, if they contain physical or biological features essential to conservations, and those features may require special management considerations for protection (Blue Whale, 2015, National Geographic)
Detritivore (noun)
-an organism that feeds on dead and decomposing organic matter
Echolocation (Noun)
-the location of objects by reflected sound, in particular that used by animals such as dolphins and bats
Ecosystem (noun)
-a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Ecotourism (noun)
-tourism to places having unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern
Endangered Species (noun)
-a species at risk of extinction because of human activity, changes in climate, changes in predator-prey ratios, etc., especially when officially designated as such by a governmental agency such as the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
-provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend (Blue Whale, 2015, Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC)
-Australian Government’s central piece of environmental legislation. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places (Legislation, 2010)
Extinct (noun)
-No longer in existence
Extinction (noun)
-The dying out or determination of a species
Fertile (adj)
-bearing, producing, or capable of producing vegetation, crops, etc., abundantly; prolific
Food Chain (noun)
-a hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
Food Web (noun)
-a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains
Foraging (noun)
-the acquisition of food by hunting, fishing, or the gathering of plant matter
General Directorate of Marine territory/Merchant Marine
-“The General Directorate of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine is the agency of the Navy by which Chile ensures the enforcement of laws and international agreements to protect human life on the sea, the marine environment, and the natural sea resources, and to regulate the activities carried out in this field, thereby contributing to the nation’s sea development.” (Chilean Military, Global Security)
Gestation Period (noun)
- The period of development in the uterus from conception until birth; pregnancy
-The Great Whale Conservancy protects the world's great whales and their habitat, with a special emphasis on the globally endangered Blue Whale (Great Whale Conservancy, 2015)
-A nonprofit, charitable entity created to increase public awareness and understanding of environmental issues through research, the media and educational programs (Whaling, 2015)
Habitat (noun)
-the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism
International Whale Protection Organization
-Non-profit organization against the exploitation of whales and dolphins (International Whale Protection Organization, 2015).
-Provides taxonomic, conservation status, and distribution information on taxa that are facing a high risk of global extinction.
K-Strategist Species (noun)
-species whose populations fluctuate at or near the carrying capacity (K) of the environment in which they reside.
Keystone Species (noun)
-A species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed from the ecosystem would largely change
Krill (noun)
-any of the small, pelagic, shrimplike crustaceans of the family euphausiidae, eaten as food by certain whales
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
-The MMPA prohibits, with certain exceptions, the "take" of marine mammals in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas, and the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the U.S (Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), 2015)
Mass-Extinction (noun)
-is a relatively sudden, global decrease in the diversity of life forms
Microorganism (noun)
-a microscopic organism, especially a bacterium, virus, or fungus
Migrate (verb)
-to go from one country, region, or place to another
-the net flux of carbon from the atmosphere into green plants per unit time. NPP refers to a rate process, i.e., the amount of vegetable matter produced (net primary production) per day, week, or year. (Net Primary Productivity Method, Distributed Active Archive Center, Distributed Active Archive Center)
NGO (noun)
-Non-governmental organization that is neither a part of a government nor a conventional for-profit business. It is usually set up by ordinary citizens and may be funded by governments, foundations, businesses, or private persons.
Niche (noun)
-the position or function of an organism in a community of plants and animals.
Overpopulate (verb)
-Populate (an area) in too large numbers
Phytoplankton (noun)
-plankton consisting of microscopic plants
Placenta (noun)
-a flattened circular organ in the uterus of pregnant eutherian mammals, nourishing and maintaining the fetus through the umbilical cord
Population (noun)
-a group of individuals of the same species occupying a particular geographic area
Prey Depletion (noun)
-a form of habitat degradation where there is a reduction in prey availability
Predator (noun)
-an animal that naturally preys on others
Sanctuary (noun)
-a reserved area in which birds and other animals, especially wild animals, are protected from hunting or disturbances
Scavenger (noun)
-An animal that feeds on dead or decaying matter
Solitary (adj)
-Existing Alone
Southern Hemisphere (noun)
-the half of the earth between the south pole and the equator
Species (Noun)
-a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding. The species is the principal natural taxonomic unit
-The purposes of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) are to prevent wildlife species in Canada from disappearing, to provide for the recovery of wildlife species that are extirpated (no longer exist in the wild in Canada), endangered, or threatened as a result of human activity, and to manage species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened (Species at Risk Act (SARA) Summary and Press Release, 2015)
Species Evenness (noun)
-The relative abundance of species in a community or collection
Transient (adj)
-lasting only for a short time; impermanent.
-a process in which deep, cold water rises toward the surface (What is upwelling?, 2015)
Water Column
-a conceptual column of water from the surface of a sea, river or lake to the bottom sediments (What is a Water Column, Ozone Services, Ozone Services)
Whaling (noun)
-the practice or industry of hunting and killing whales for their oil, meat, or whalebone
-An organization that works in the field of biodiversity conservation, and the reduction of human footprint on the environment (Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, 2015)
*All defintions were taken from Dictionary.com unless otherwise noted
Dictionary.com. (2015) Retrieved November 29, 2015, From Dictionary.com, Website: http://dictionary.reference.com