Home NWS&T Home


Get2Know
Try This Out 4YourBrain About SciScape


Know Your Stuff

climate change | change from one climate condition to another. Global warming is expected to cause climate change.

current | a flow of water in one direction.

estuary | where fresh and salt water mix, in an area protected from the sea.

habitat | a place where an animal or plant lives.

marine | relating to the sea, the nearshore has lots of marine life.

marsh | wet, soft land, usually with grass and cattail plants.

mudflat | an area of mud slightly underwater, but occasionally exposed during low tide.

organic material | material related to living organisms.

permeability | the ability of soil or rock to transmit water.

photic zone | the underwater area where sunlight reaches to help plants grow.

plankton | tiny animals, bacteria, and plants in the water. A favorite snack for whales.

porosity | refers to the amount of space between soil or rock particles.

predator | one that preys on others for its survival.

prey | an animal eaten by a predator for food.

salinity | the concentration of salts dissolved in water.

tide | the rise and fall of sea levels, caused by gravitational pulls on the Earth.

turbidity | a measure of the clarity of the water. Turbid water is thick with sediment or organisms. If the water is turbid, it is not clear.

watershed | the region draining into a river, river system, or other body of water.

Image: An otter enjoys a nearshore snack. Photo: NOAA Photo Library

Know your stuffPrint ThisWhat do you think?