Glossary.
AESTHETIC VALUE- is the value that an object, event or state of affairs (most paradigmatically an art work or the natural environment) possesses in virtue of its capacity to elicit pleasure (positive value) or displeasure (negative value) when appreciated or experienced aesthetically. (5)
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AQUACULTURE- The process of raising aquatic organisms in a controlled environment for commercial purposes. (6)
BEQUEST VALUE- Calculating the total economic value of the services provided by ecosystems. (4)
BIODIVERSITY- (biology) the diversity (number and variety of species) of plant and animal life within a region. (6)
BIOTIC POTENTIALS- The maximum growth rate of which a population is physiologically capable. (2)
BYCATCH- Organisms caught incidentally, or by accident, during fishing operations for which the organism is not a target. (6)
CARAPACE- A bony shield or shell covering all or part of the dorsal (top) side of an animal. The dorsal shell of a turtle. (6)
CHEMICAL POLLUTION- Pollution caused by substances of chemical nature, including chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals as mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc. (4)
COASTAL DEVELOPMENT- Concentration of human settlements, infrastructures and economic activities along the coasts, being these favorable favorable for trade, communication and marine resources exploitation; the impact of the accelerated population growth and of the industrial and touristic development in these areas has caused the disruption of the ecological integrity of the coastal zones. (3)
COMMERCIAL HARVESTING- The harvesting of animals or cash crops for commercial reasons. (3)
DEGRADING- To lower in value or social position. (2)
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES- a country having a standard of living or level of industrial production well below that possible with financial or technical aid; a country that is not yet highly industrialized. (3)
DISORIENTATION- The result of using inappropriate cues for moving in a particular direction. For instance, hatchling sea turtles will move inland toward street lights instead of correctly toward the sea, and are thus said to be disoriented. (6)
DOOMED EGGS- Eggs in natural nests which are likely to be destroyed during the course of incubation by natural, predictable causes, particularly beach erosion or extended tidal flooding. (6)
DUMPSITES- an accumulation of discarded garbage, refuse, etc. (4)
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT- a unique set of characteristics, actions, etc., that leave a trace and serve as a means of identification ex: environmental. (3)
ECONOMIC RESOURCE- are the factors used in producing goods or providing services. (4)
ECTOTHERMIC- An animal, including most reptiles, whose body temperature is determined largely by ambient (outside) temperature, as opposed to generating heat within its own body. What we used to call “cold-blooded”. With the arguable exception of the leatherback, sea turtles are ectothermic. (6)
ECOSYSTEM- a system, or a group of interconnected elements, formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment. (2)
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES- the important benefits for human beings that arise from healthily functioning ecosystems, notably production of oxygen, soil genesis, and water detoxification. (3)
ECOTOURISM- tourism to places having unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern. (3)
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EGG CHAMBER- A hole dug by an adult female turtle using her rear flippers, into which she lays her eggs. (6)
ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS- A compound that must be obtained from food for survival. (4)
FIBROPAPILLOMAS- Lobulated tumors that grow on the skin, eyes, in the oral cavity, and on the viscera of sea turtles. This disease is life-threatening as these lesions can impair the turtle’s ability to swim, eat, see, and even breathe. (6)
FISHERIES- the occupation or industry of catching, processing, or selling fish or shellfish. (2)
HABITAT- The specific place in the natural environment where an animal or plant lives. (6)
HATCHING- The process of leaving the egg after development is completed. See: emergence, hatchling. (6)
INCUBATION- to maintain at a favorable temperature and in other conditions promoting development, as cultures of bacteria or prematurely born infants. (6)
INSTRUMENTAL VALUE- be defined as specific methods of behavior. Instrumental values are not an end goal, but rather provide the means by which an end goal is accomplished. (4)
INVERTEBRATES- of or relating to creatures without a backbone. (2)
ITEROPARITY- The strategy (successfully used by sea turtles) of reproducing many times during a lifetime. (6)
INTRINSIC VALUE- belonging to a thing by its very nature. (3)
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS- come in a variety of forms and are established and managed by all levels of government. (7)
MICROORGANISMS- any organism too small to be viewed by the unaided eye, as bacteria, protozoa, and some fungi and algae. (3)
MICRO-PLASTICS- small pieces of plastic, less than 5 mm (0.2 inch) in length, that occur in the environment as a consequence of plastic pollution. (3)
NATAL BEACHES- The area, which is said to have 300 sunny days a year, also boasts great sand dunes, cliffs, reefs which form ocean pools, and lots of wind. (3)
NESTING SEASON- is the time of year during which birds and some other animals, particularly some reptiles, build nests, lay eggs in them, and in most cases bring up their young. (4)
OFFSPRING- in relation to its parent or parents; the product, result, or effect of something. (2)
ORGANISMS- a form of life composed of mutually interdependent parts that maintain various vital processes. (2)
POACHING- the illegal practice of trespassing on another's property to hunt or steal game without the landowner's permission. (2)
POLLUTION- the act of polluting or the state of being polluted; the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. (2)
POPULATION- A group of organisms belonging to the same species that occupy a fairly well defined locality and exhibit reproductive continuity from generation to generation. Genetic and ecological interactions are generally more common between members of a population than between members of different populations of the same species. (6)
POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP- is a process in which the end products of an action cause more of that action to occur in a feedback loop. This amplifies the original action. (1)
PREDATOR- An animal that hunts and eats other animals. Sea turtles are important predators in the ocean food web. (6)
SANCTUARY- a tract of land where birds and wildlife, especially those hunted for sport, can breed and take refuge in safety from hunters. (2)
SEX RATIO- The number of males divided by the number of females (sometimes expressed in percent). (6)
STRUCTURAL ADAPTATION- the process by which a species becomes fitted to its environment; it is the result of natural selection’s acting upon heritable variation over several generations. (3)
SURVIVAL RATE- The percentage of individuals surviving from one developmental stage, year class, or life stage to the next stage, or succeeding period. (6)
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TED- An acronym for Turtle Excluder Device. A structure fitted into a trawl specifically designed to reduce incidental catch, specifically of sea turtles, and other non-target objects while maintaining normal levels of shrimp catch. With few exceptions shrimp trawls are legally required to be fit with TEDs while operating in US waters, a condition imposed in many other countries of the world as well. (6)
(1) Biology Dictionary (2020). “Positive Feedback” https://biologydictionary.net
(2) Dictionary.com, (2020). https://www.dictionary.com
(3) Encyclopedia: Britannica (2020). https://www.britannica.com/science/solid-state-of-matter
(4) Glosbe: Online Dictionary. https://glosbe.com
(5) Levno, Plato (2013). "Aesthetic Value." University of Nottingham.
(6) Widecast. “Glossary of sea turtle terms.” http://widecast.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Biology-Terminology-Glossary.pdf
(7) NOAA. “What is a marine protected area?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/mpa.html