Term

Definition

Air Pressure

Barometric pressure measured by barometers (mmHg).

Air Temperature

The temperature indicated by a thermometer placed in an instrument shelter above ground (ºC).

Areal extent

Coordinates and/or landmarks.

Bathymetry

Depth and relief of water basins (m).

Chlorophyl

Any of a group of green pigments found in photosynthetic organisms. There are four naturally occurring forms: chl-a, chl-b, chl-c, chl-d.

Coast Sea Level Topography

General configuration of a coastal ocean surface, including its relief and the relative position of features.

Discard Monitoring

Monitoring of released or returned fish to the sea, dead or alive, whether or not such fish are brought fully on board a fishing vessel.

Dissolved Nutrients

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (ammonium, nitrate, nitrite), dissolved inorganic reactive phosphate and dissolved silicate in sea water per unit mass of water (mg/L or ppm).

Dissolved Oxygen

Amount of oxygen that is dissolved in sea water per unit mass of water (mg/L or ppm).

Effort / Time req'd for study

Days at sea per year for surveys.

Ecological Characterizations

Characteristics of non-target species in the ecosystem.

Frequency

How often the survey is conducted.

Grid Based

Grid square coordinates of targeted stations. 

Habitat Characterization and Mapping

Mapping and high resolution bathymetry of marine habitat.

LMR Assessment

Abundance, distribution, and life history activities of certain living marine resources.

Locations

Latitude and longitude.

Pathogens

Agents that cause disease, especially living microorganisms such as bacterium or fungus. This is not a variable or quantity that can be measured in itself. For aquatic systems this usually refers to waterborne pathogens which include HABs and fecal indicators (the pathogens themselves usually are not measured directly).

Phenomena observed

Major biological, physical, chemical, and meteorological data collected (e.g., temperature, salinity, stock ID, weight, sex, morphimetrics, stomach weight/content, etc.).

Platform/Station

General type of platform station (e.g., FRV, Oceanographic RV, Charter trawler, longliner) .

Primary Gear / Instruments

Major data gathering systems, including trawl, longline, CTD, multibeam, etc.

Protected Species Monitoring

Monitoring of any species which is protected by either the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and under the jurisdiction of NMFS.

Quota Monitoring

Monitoring of a specified numerical harvest objective, the attainment of which causes closure of the fishery for that species or species group.

Recruitment

Amount of fish added to the exploitable stock each year due to growth and/or migration into the fishing area. This term is also used in referring to the number of fish from a year class reaching a certain age.

Relative Humidity

Ratio of the actual vapor pressure of the air to the saturation vapor pressure (%).

Research / Pre-Operational / Operational

Developmental phase of each survey/activity. Research Projects: Research and development of observational platforms, sensors, protocols, data management and communications, and analytical (e.g., models and algorithms) techniques. Pre-Operational Projects: Research projects that show promise as potential elements of an operational system that are ready for proof-of-concept demonstrations.  Successful data and results can be integrated into operational products. Operational System: Routine and sustained provision of data and products in forms and at rates specified by user groups.

Salinity

Total mass of salts dissolved in seawater per unit mass of water (ppt).

Sea Surface Temperature

Temperature of the water film at the sea surface (ºC).

Sediment Grain Size

Measurement of substrate type in the sediment. The classification depends on the size of particles.

Shoreline Position

Wet/dry interface on the beach, the furthest point of wave run-up - and is recorded by tracing the wetline immediately after the turn of the high tide utilizing an all Terrain Vehicle (ATV) equipped with a post-processed kinematical Global Positioning System (GPS).

Solar Radiation

Total electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun; usually includes photosynthetically active radiation (PAR).

Special Projects / Process Surveys

Surveys that use special instruments, including ichthyoplankton samplers; tagging; physical, chemical and biological oceanography; bottom-typing; diver, manned and autonomous submersibles, ROVs, along tracklines, or synoptic with transient or recurring biophysical phenomena.  In this category, survey vessels also provide essential transportation and logistical support for remotely-based field parties on a seasonal or year-round basis.

Streamflow

Flow of water in streams, rivers, and other channels  (m3/sec).

Streamflow Temperature

Temperature of the water in streams, rivers and other channels (ºC).

Surface Current

Steady flow of surface ocean water in a prevailing speed  (m3/sec) and direction.

Targeted Stocks

Primary stocks which are targeted during a survey/assessment.

Total Catch Monitoring

Monitoring of landed catch plus discards. Units include weight and number of fish caught.

Trackline

Routes that the survey goes by, usually in a linear fashion across rows or columns in the grid field. 

Visibility

Greatest distance in the water that prominent objects can be seen and identified by unaided, normal eyes (m).

Water Level

Level of the ocean's surface (especially that halfway between mean high and low tide); or the level of the surface of a body of water measured by a water gauge (m).

Water Quality

The chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water in respect to its suitability for a particular purpose. This is a collective term for many types of measurements. Indicators include dissolved oxygen, turbidity, chlorophyll-a concentration, HABs, and fecal coliform concentration, etc.

Waves

Height of surface waves in certain height, period/frequency, and direction occurring in the upper layer of the ocean (m).

Winds

Flow of air in certain speed and direction.