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Biogenic Silica(Bsi) - Silica that has its origins in the shell structures of living organisms.

CTD - (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) Common name referring to a scientific instrument that records Ocean salinity, temperature, and depth. This instrument can also record a host of other parameters such as nutrient levels and chlorophyll concentrations.

Core Cruise - One of the regular Bi-monthly research cruises conducted aboard a research vessel. The cruise involves a transect of seven sample stations in the Santa Barbara Channel beginning at Santa Barbara harbor and continuing across the channel to San Miguel Island.

Coastal Upwelling - An ocean process that occurs most notably on the western coasts of continents. Results when cold nutrient rich bottom water flows to the surface along the continental coast lines. Very strong in California and Chile where it is closely linked to the fishing industry. coastal upwelling is greatly reduced during El Niño events.

Dinoflagellates - Any of an order (Dinoflag-ellata) of chiefly marine, planktonic, usually solitary phytoflagellates (which have many characteristics in common with algae) These creatures are important in marine food chains, and cause red tides.

Diatoms - Diatoms are unicellular algae generally placed in the family Bacillariophyceae. The cell walls of these organisms are made of silica, and the varied shapes and beautiful ornamentation of these walls made the study of the diatoms and related siliceous organisms a favored pursuit of the early oceanographers. The cell wall is one of the major reasons why these algae are today a favorite organism of study, because the fossils are often well preserved in sediments of lake and marine systems.

El Nino - El Niño is a season that comes at irregular intervals and stays for an unspecified period of time. The same way yellow-orange leaves are associated with fall, or snow with winter, during El Niño there are certain expected changes in climate and weather patterns. These changes, which begin in the tropical Pacific Ocean, have come to define El Niño.

During an El Niño, the normally gusty trade winds along the equator in the Pacific fade. As the winds fade, a huge pool of warm water off the coast of Indonesia begins to flows eastward toward the Americas. This warm water heats and adds moisture to the air above it. This in turn alters storm tracks that blow across the United States and the world.

Lithogenic Silica(LSi) - Silica that originates from terrestrial sources of rock and soil.

Lithosphere - The upper most layer of the earth’s crust

Microalgae - Marine Plants that range in size from microscopic phytoplankton to the giant kelp bladder found of our beaches. They contain chlorophyll, the same pigment used by land plants to perform photosynthesis.

Microscopic - Optics. of or relating to objects visible without the use of a microscope.

Nitrogen - Nitrogen is the most abundant element in our atmosphere. It is a vital element that is essential to living ecosystems. Nitrogen is a primary nutrient for all green plants.

Phosphorous - (P) Phosphorus is the eleventh-most abundant mineral in the earth's crust and does not exist in a gaseous state. It is an essential nutrient for all life forms. Phosphorus plays a role in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the basic building block of life. Phosphorus is required for these necessary components of life to occur. Phosphorus in freshwater and marine systems exists in either a particulate phase (found in sediment plumes) or a dissolved phase (mixed in with the sea water).

Phytoplankton - Microscopic marine plants that live in the upper layer of the world’s oceans and float freely in the water column.

Plankton - A general term for the entire community of microscopic free-floating organisms, including phytoplankton, zooplankton, and a host of other marine organisms. Plankton serves as the primary food source for most marine ecosystems. Many animals like the blue whale feed entirely on planktonic organisms.

Process Cruise - A cruise that is conducted during a significant event in the channel such as a winter storm or a period of heavy rain. These usually take samples at the mouth of Ventura Harbor.

Radiometer - Instrument for detecting and measuring the intensity of radial thermal energy, particularly infrared radiation.

Runoff - A general term for any water that flows over the ground, such as flooding after a good rain.

Spring Bloom - A bloom, or rapid growth, of phytoplankton in the upper layers of the ocean, often due to an influx of nutrients, such as sediment plumes or seasonal upwelling

Zooplankton - Microscopic marine animals that live in the worlds oceans. Zooplankton can include tiny shrimp like krill, fish larvae, and many other types of creatures.

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