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Glossary

Biological diversityThe variety of living things.
EcosystemAll living things and the physical environment they live in. 
Food chainShows how plants and animals get their energy. Begins with the sun and ends with an apex predator.
Apex predatorThe top predator within a food chain. It does not have any natural predators of its own.  
MesopredatorA predator in the middle of the food chain. 
InvertebratesAnimals without a backbone, for example octopus, sea cucumbers, lobsters, shells.
Herbiverous FishA fish that feeds on low-lying algae.
Bleached coralWhen corals become white because they have expelled the algae that live in their tissues. 
OverfishingWhen fish are being caught faster than they can reproduce and so the population declines, or the stock is depleted in a specific area. 
Spawning aggregationWhere large numbers of fish gather together to produce the next generation.
Ocean acidificationThe process by which the ocean is becoming more acidic due to carbon dioxide being absorbed.
Skewed sex ratioWhere the number of males and females is not even. 
Fecund/fecundityThe ability to produce offspring.  
SustainableAllowing something (such as, fisheries) to continue into the future. Ensuring that resources are used in a responsible way.  
Spillover effectWhere fish from within a protected area cross over the boundary and enrich surrounding unprotected areas.   
BycatchA fish or marine creature caught unintentionally while fishing for another marine species.