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APPENDIX 1.

Glossary

Abiotic

Refers to nonliving objects, substances or processes. Factors that are non-biological but play

an important role in an organism's environment (e.g. substrate, temperature, currents, pH).

Accretion

Slow addition to the seabed (or reef substrate) by deposition and consolidation of sediment

or other intercellular material. The growing together or adherence of parts that are normally

separate.

Acroporids

(Taxonomy). A Family name of branching corals in the Order Scleractinia, Class Anthozoa,

Phylum Cnidaria.

Algae

Aquatic, eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms (Kingdom Protista), ranging in size from single-

celled organisms to giant kelp. They are distinguished from plants because they lack true

roots, stems, leaves and flowers. They include three phyla that are often classified by the

following functional groups:

"Macro" algae includes all fleshy (non calcified) alga (Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta)

that project higher than 1 cm above the substrate;

"Calcareous" algae are macroalgae that contain calcium carbonate (Rhodophyta,

Chlorophyta);

"Crustose" algae are hard (calcified) coralline algae (Rhodophyta) that encrust reef surfaces;

"Turf" algae are all those fine or filamentous algae that do not grow more than 1 cm high.

Anthropogenic

Caused (or induced) by humans.

Apex predator

A predator which is not itself preyed upon as a species. These animals are often at the end

of food chains, where they have a crucial role in maintaining and determining the health of

ecosystems.

Attribute

An attribute is any condition or state that affects reef health and integrity and can be directly

or indirectly measured by specific indicators. In this paper, we describe two main categories of

attributes - structural and functional.

Baseline data

A quantitative level or value from which other data and observations of a comparable nature are

referenced. It is sometimes considered as the `natural' condition of an ecosystem, community

or species without human intervention/impacts.

Belt transect

Area surveyed not only under transect line but within a certain distance either side of the line

(a one meter wide belt for example).

Benchmark

A benchmark is the minimally acceptable limit for the next five years.

Benthic

Refers to organisms that live on or in sea or lake bottoms (called benthos).

Bioeroders

Organisms that cause bioerosion.

Bioerosion

Erosion of calcium carbonate (corals, reef cement and structure) by organisms through

chemical dissolution or activities such as boring, scraping, etching, etc.

Biodiversity

The number and variety of organisms found within a specified ecosystem or geographic region.

The variety or richness of ecosystems, habitats, communities, and species.

Biomass

The quantity of living matter (living organisms, species, etc) expressed as unit of weight per

unit area or unit volume.

Biota

The combined flora and fauna of a region or spatial scale of interest. The number of organisms

that occupy an ecosystem.

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