Aquaculturist
trained professional involved in the production of aquatic plants and animals
Natural Fishery
existing breeding ground of wild fishes, that is, oceans, continental shelves, lakes, and bays
Salinity
a measure of total dissolved mineral solids in water
Gradient
a measurable change in an amount over time or distance
Terrestrial
land organism
Amphibian
organisms that complete part of their life cycle in water and part on land
Bay
a natural indentation along a coastline with a small inlet and a protected area behind it where the water is relatively calm
Estuary
ecological system including bays, streams, and tidal areas influenced by brackish water
Saltwater Marsh
the ecological system of plants and animals influenced by tidal waters with salinity of 15 to 34 parts per million
Brackish Water
waters influenced by tide and river flow with intermediate salinity of 3 to 22 percent
Fry
small, newly hatched fish
Spawn
egg-laying process of fish
Osmosis
the flow of a fluid through a semipermeable membrane separating two solutions, which permits the passage of the solvent but not the dissolved substance. The liquid will flow from a weaker to a stronger solution, thus tending to equalize concentrations
Adaptation
a process that occurs as heritable traits favoring the survival of an organism are passed from one generation to the next
Gills
organ of aquatic animal that absorbs oxygen from the water
Shellfish
any aquatic animal having a shell or shell-like exoskeleton
Crustacean
aquatic organism with an exoskeleton that molts during growth
Molt
softening and cracking of the exoskeleton so that crustaceans may escape and grow a larger exoskeleton
Water Quality
measurement of factors that affect the utilization of management
Dissolved Oxygen
oxygen that is dissolved in water
PPM
parts per million
Water Hardness
measured as the amount of calcium (ppm) in the solution
Buffer
a substance in a solution that tends to stabilize the pH
Turbidity
measure of suspended solids
Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate
the chemical components generated during biological breakdown of animal wastes
TAN
measurement of total amonial nitrogen
Toxin
a poisonous substance, causing injury to animals or plants
Salmonid
any of the family or soft-finned fish such as salmon or trout that have the last vertebrae upturned
PPT
parts per thousand
Spat
the young shellfish just after it attaches to underwater structures
Seining
physical netting of fish in open water
Rolls Over
rapid change in water quality because of a change in the relative position of cold and warm water
Larvae
mobile organisms that become fixed and grow into non-mobile adults