Know your Bay-Related Terminology

Algae applies to a group of simple plant-like organisms ranging from one to many cells in size, that lives in fresh or salt water. They do not have roots, stems, or leaves but they are photosynthetic (they use sunlight to create their chemical food).

Algae blooms occur when algae grows very fast because too many nutrients enter the water. Algae blooms color the water a deep reddish-brown.

Aquifer is an underground layer of porous rock, sand, etc. that stores water. The water gets into the aquifer through the ground, from rain and snow, and from rivers and streams. To tap the water in an aquifer, wells are dug.

Barrier island refers to a long island, parallel to the coastline, that protects the shore. It is separated from the mainland by a shallow body of water. Barrier islands are fragile, constantly changing.

Biomass is the total mass or number of living organisms within a particular environmental area. It also refers to plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste used as a fuel or energy source.

Breakwaters are structures constructed as part of coastal defense or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.

Bulkheads are retaining structures, or embankments, built along a waterfront that act as a protective barrier.

Detritus some clams.

is decaying plant and animal chain in aquatic ecosystems, Detritus, which is part of the food matter found suspended in water. invertebrates, isopods, provides food for many amphipods, polychaete worms, brittle stars, and

Ecosystem is a biological community. Ecosystems are diverse and always changing. All aspects of an ecosystem (both living things and their non-living settings) interact and affect one another. Every species affects the lives of those around them.

Estuary is a partially closed coastal body of water where the salty tide meets the freshwater current. Barnegat Bay is an example of an estuary. The sheltered waters of estuaries are home to countless plants and animals that like to live in water that is part fresh and part salty (brackish).

Eutrophication occurs when water runoff causes excessive nutrients (nitrogen, for example) to exist in a body of water. This causes a dense growth of plant life, and the decomposition of the plants depletes the supply of oxygen.

Groundwater is the supply of fresh water under the Earth’s surface in an aquifer or soil.

Habitat refers to the native environment of a plant or animal.

Impervious landscaping applies to any material that prevents the infiltration of water into soil.

Inlet is a channel that allows exchange of water between the bay and ocean sides of an adjacent barrier island.

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