- Industry: Government
- Number of terms: 30456
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
A "fishing rod-like" appendage on the head of some fishes, usually a modified dorsal fin spine.
Industry:Natural environment
A large, isolated rock section that has been displaced from the reef platform, reef margin, reef front zones or the non-calcium carbonate bedrock, usually resulting from storm waves.
Industry:Natural environment
A pattern of small, random deviations between sides in the size of a given trait -the random component of bilateral asymmetry, i.e., subtle random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry. It arises when genetic or environmental stressors disrupt developmental processes that normally promote symmetrical growth. Fluctuating asymmetry is of particular interest because of its potential as a biomonitor of environmental quality. It is a relatively new tool for assessing the impact of environmental and genetic stresses on populations. One of the main advantages of FA is its increased sensitivity relative to other bioindicators. If effective, this tool could allow biologists to monitor populations and make recommendations before a severe problem arises, often without the high cost of other solutions.
Industry:Natural environment
A small part of the active part of a gene, made from cdna which can be used to fish the rest of the gene out of the chromosome by matching base pairs with part of the gene. The EST can be radioactively labelled in order to locate it in a larger segment of DNA.
Industry:Natural environment
A transformation which occurs on a worldwide scale (for example, an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere) or exhibits sufficient cumulative effects to have worldwide impact (for example, local species extinction resulting in global loss of biodiversity).
Industry:Natural environment
An egg mass protected by a surrounding tough covering or a hard foam-like protein covering. Oothecae are made by many insect species and mollusks; an egg case.
Industry:Natural environment
Relatively minor change in the composition of a species' gene pool over time.
Industry:Natural environment
The circulating and tissue-bathing fluid of the arthropod open circulatory system. It is composed of cells and plasma and often loosely termed as blood.
Industry:Natural environment
