APPENDIX B 



GLOSSARY 



Acute Toxicity - Any poisonous effect produced within a short period of time, 

 usually up to 24-96 hours, resulting in severe biological harm and often death. 



Anadromous - Refers to fishes, such as striped bass and shad, which spend most 

 of their life cycle at sea but return to rivers and streams to spawn. 



Benthic/ Benthos - The plant and animal life whose habitat is the bottom of a 

 sea, lake or river and may be found on or in the substrata. 



Biological Magnification - The buildup and inability to discharge any substance 

 found in consumed prey resulting in an increase of that substance at higher 

 levels of a food web. 



Biomass - The total particulate organic matter present, usually given on a per 

 unit area or volume basis, such as biomass of plankton in grams per cubic meter 

 of ocean, or eelgrass in grams per square meter of bottom. 



C atadromous - Refers to fishes, such as the eel, which mature in fresh water 

 and migrate to the sea to spawn. 



Chlorinated Hydrocarbons - A class of generally long- lasting, broad spectrum 

 insecticides of which the best known is DDTo 



Chronic Toxicity - Marked by and causing long duration or frequent recurrence 

 of unhealthy organisms. 



Detritus - Finely divided settleable material of organic or inorganic origin 

 which is suspended in the water or settled on the bottom but is not consolidated. 



EcosvstejTi - An ecological system, formed by the interaction of coacting 

 organisms and their environment. 



Entrained - The suspension and/or movement of organisms and sediments by flowing 

 water. Usually used in reference to intake or discharge systems. 



Estuary - A semi-enclosed coastal water body which has free access to the sea, 

 the water being measurably diluted with fresh water derived from land drainage. 



Euryhaline - Organisms which can accomodate wide salinity variations. 



B-1 



