ATOC

Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate

Baleen

In certain whales, the fibrous plates in parallel rows on either side of the upper jaw.

Benthic

Pertaining to the bottom of the sea.

Biota

The animal and plant life of a region considered as a total ecological entity.

Blow

In cetaceans, the expulsion of air at the surface through the blowhole(s).

Blowhole

In cetaceans, the single or paired respiratory opening.

Breach

To leap upward through the water surface.

Cephalopod

Any of various mollusks, such as an octopus, squid, or nautilus, having a beaked head, an internal shell in some species, and prehensile tentacles.

Cetacean

An aquatic mammal of the order Cetacea, including whales, porpoises and dolphins.

Dorsal

Pertaining to the back or upper surface of the body.

Dorsal fin

The fin along the midline of the back.

El Nino

A disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific characterized by sea water temperatures warmer than normal and having important consequences for weather around the globe, including increased rainfall across the southern United States.

Flippers

In cetaceans, the forelimbs.

Flukes

In cetaceans, the horizontally positioned tail fin.

Intertidal

Between the extremes of high and low tide.

IWC

International Whaling Commission

Krill

Shrimplike crustaceans occuring in huge numbers in open seas, and eaten by baleen whales.

Morbillivirus

Measels distemper virus

MBNMS

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Morphology

The structure and form of an organism, excluding its functions.

Pelage

The coat of a mammal, consisting of hair, fur, or wool.

Pelagic

Of, pertaining to, or living in open oceans or seas rather than waters adjacent to land or inland waters.

Otolith

A calcareous particle found in the inner ear of certain vertebrates (fish, for example).

Ventral

Pertaining to the underside or lower part of the body.

Ventral grooves

In certain baleen whales, the furrows extending back from the chin.

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