Atmosphere: The air surrounding the Earth.

Autotroph: An organism which can manufacture its own food either by photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Bathypelagic: The area of the ocean below the mesopelagic. Sometimes refered to as "aphotic".

Biosphere: The living organisms.

Breakers: A wave which whose base has contacted the bottom and is beginning to collapse. There are three tyoes associated with difrferent shore steepnesses:

Centigrade: One of several scales measuring temperature. (see also Rankine, Fahrenheit and Kelvin). Celsius uses the freezing point of fresh water as zero and the boiling point of water as 100. Its
      degree is 1.8 times greater than the Fahrenheit degree.

Chemosynthesis: The process by which an organism can manufacture food by using chemicals raher than sunlight. In one form, oxygen (O₂), hydrogen sulfide H₂₂ produce sugar (CH₂0),
      sulfur (S), and water (H₂0). There are other formulas used by different organisms.

Euphotic: The upper layer of teh ocean where there is sufficient light for photosythesis. Also referred to as "epipelagic"

Fahrenheit: One of several scales measuring temperature. (see also Rankine, Celsius and Kelvin). Fahrenheit uses the freezing point of brine (sea water) as zero and the boiling point of water
     as 212. Its degree is 5/9 of the Celsius degree.

Fetch: The distance across which the wind blows without interruption.

Hadalpelagic: The deep part of the ocean found in the deep marine trenches.

Heterotroph: an organism which has to eat. It can not make its own food.

Hydrosphere: The waters of the Earth.

Intertidal: The area between high and low tides. Sometimes called "Littoral". It is under water part of the day and ni the air part of the day.

Kelvin: One of several scales measuring temperature (see also Rankine, Fahrenheit and Celsius). Kelvin uses absolute zero as its "zero" and uses the Celsius degree.

Lithosphere: The outermost shell of the Earth. (the crust and the upper mantle).

Mesopelagic: The layer of water below the epipelagic. There is some light here but not enough for photosynthesis. Sometimes called "dysphotic".

Neap Tides: The lowest tides. Associated with the first and thrid quarter moons.

Pelagic: The area of the ocean above the abyssal plain (beyond the continental shelf).

Plankton: Organisms which can not swim against a slight current (see also Nekton)

Primary Producer: An organism which uses sulight (photosynthesis) or chemicals (chemosynthesis) to make food. An autotroph.

Rogue Wave: A wave more than 2 times the height of the "Significant Wave Height" (SWH).

Significant Wave Height: (SWH) The mean of the largest third of the waves.

Tides: Water movement caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon and centripedal forces.

Trophic Levels: The degree an organism is distanced from the primary producers. A "grazer", for example, that eats a plant would be one level above the primary producer.

Tsunami: Japanese for "harbor wave" A "seismic" wave. One caused by underea earthquakes, volcanic eruption or anything causing changes in the ocean basin.

Wave Base: The depth in the water beyond which there is no noticible orbital motion of water particles. Generally about 1/2 the wavelength.

Wave Trough: The lowest part of the wave (found between two wave crests).