Barrier to dispersal:
A geographical,
environmental, or physical boundary that limits
where organisms can disperse.
Bathymetry:
The measurement of depths in a
large body of water, such as the ocean.
Coastal wetlands:
Wetlands, such as a tidal salt
marsh or freshwater marsh, that are located in
a coastal watershed that drains into an estuary,
bay, or ocean.
Contaminant:
A chemical or other factor, such as
heat not naturally present in the environment, that
can, if in sufficient quantity, adversely affect it.
Differential survival:
Differences in survival rates
of organisms resulting from variations in the genetic,
physical, or behavioral traits that they possess.
Distribution:
The geographic area inhabited by
a species.
Kelp:
Large brown algae that grow primarily in
shallow ocean water in temperate and arctic regions.
Life span:
The average length of time an
individual of a given species is expected
to survive.
Local extinction:
The loss of a group of
organisms from a particular area, which may or
may not be permanent.
Mortality rate:
The number of deaths in a
population from a particular cause within a
specified time period.
Phenotype:
The observable characteristics of an
organism, such as size, color, running speed.
Population dynamics:
Changes in the size and
age structure of a population.
Selection pressure:
An environmental factor
that tends to change the frequency of expressed,
heritable traits in a population.
Sexual maturity:
The stage of development at
which an organism is able to reproduce.
Subspecies:
A group of organisms within a
species that has distinct characteristics resulting
from geographical or physical isolation from other
populations of their species.
Upwelling:
The wind-driven movement of cold,
usually nutrient-rich water from ocean depths to
the surface.