A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Anoxia - A condition or environment where there is a total absence of oxygen in which nothing can survive. Bacteria - Fecal Coliform bacteria live only in the intestines of warm-blooded animals. Fecal Coliform bacteria are not harmful to humans but their presence in the Bay is an indicator of possible sewage and disease causing (pathogenic) bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria are a significant threat to human health. BOD: Biochemical Oxygen Demand - A simple test to measure the amount of oxygen removed from water by organisms in order for them to survive. Waters that test high in BOD indicate polluted or eutrophic waters. Biomass - The total amount of plants or animals living within a given environmental area. Biomass usually indicates the degree of the water area's productivity or eutrophication. . Decompose - The breakdown of matter by bacteria or fungi, thus changing the physical appearance and chemical makeup of the substance. Combined Sewage- A combination of stormwater and domestic sewage with or without industrial waste. Combined sewage consists of liquid waste from home, industries, businesses, institutions, and storm water runoff from streets and other surfaces. Combined Sewer- An underground pipe that carries both sewage and stormwater. Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO)- Flow from a combined sewer that exceeds the capacity of the sewer system and is discharged directly into a receiving water during certain rainstorm conditions. Density - The change in weight of water as it becomes saltier. Dilute - To make thinner or less concentrated by adding a liquid such as water. Dissolved Oxygen - Refers to the amount of oxygen that is dissolved or in solution. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is critical for most forms of aquatic life, and the levels of DO are a general indicator of the health of an estuary. DO levels fluctuate widely over small distances and different water depths, as well as on an hourly, daily and seasonal time frame. Domestic Sewage: Discharges of liquid waste matter from homes, apartment complexes, office buildings, institutions and the like that flow into sewers. Ecosystem - A community of plants, animals or bacteria that live and interact within the same environment. Ecosystems can be as small as a puddle of water or as large as a mountain range or river basin. Eelgrass - A dominant plant that flows like an eel and can settle along acres of the bottom of saline portions of estuaries providing food for waterfowl as well as cover for fish and invertebrates. Effluent: The "cleaned" wastewater, or final liquid by-product of the wastewater treatment process, flowing out a treatment facility. Estuary - A semi-enclosed body of water that has a direct connection to the ocean and a measurable dilution of ocean water salinity from fresh water flow. The lighter fresh water typically flows on top of heavier ocean water. The two water types may or may not mix and estuaries are commonly classified by how well these two water masses mix. Eutrophic - Water or soil that are high nutrient concentrations such as nitrogen and phosphorus which stimulate excessive green plant life. Eutrophication - The process of enrichment of water bodies by nutrients thus reducing the levels of fish and animal life. Eutrophication of a lake normally contributes to a slow evolution into a bog or marsh and ultimately to dry land. Fjord - A long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes. Gradient - A degree of incline or slope of a stream bed that water falls while traveling a horizontal distance downstream. Heavy Metals - A certain class of metals found in nature such as Nickel, Cadmium, Lead, Copper, Mercury, Silver, Gold, and Zinc. Heavy metal concentrated in water may be harmful to aquatic life, plants, or human health. Hypoxia - A condition or environment with very low oxygen levels. Microorganisms - Organisms too small to be seen by the naked eye. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi and protozoa. Certain microorganisms are used to treat wastewater for pollution reduction and others are monitored for concentrations in the rivers and bays (fecal coliform). Nitrogen - A main nutrient for critical survival and essential element for plant growth, comprising 78 percent of the atmosphere. Organisms use nitrogen for protein syntheses and plants use it for photosynthesis. Nutrients - Nutrients are substances that provide nourishment and promote growth in plants and animals. Two nutrients important to estuaries are Nitrogen and Phosphorus. Organisms use Nitrogen in protein synthesis and plants use Nitrogen for photosynthesis. Phosphorus is important in metabolic processes that involve the transfer of energy. Human activity can cause an overabundance of these nutrients causing increased plant growth in the Bay. When these plants die they sink to the bottom where they decompose, causing a reduction in dissolved oxygen. Organic Matter - Substances made by living organisms. All are based upon carbon compounds. pH - pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of water. Pure water has a pH of 7.0. Water with a pH less than 7.0 is acidic and water with a pH greater than 7.0 is alkaline. Most marine organisms prefer pH in the range of 6.5 to 8.5. The pH level in water is critical to the survival of aquatic plants and animals. Phosphorus - A main nutrient for the critical survival of aquatic species. It is necessary for metabolic processes which involve the transfer of energy, but contributes to high eutrophic levels in water bodies Photosynthesis - A process where plants manufacture carbohydrate compounds using the energy they receive from sunlight. Photosynthesis produces oxygen and so dissolved oxygen levels in surface waters rise during the day and decline at night. Phytoplankton - These are tiny, single-celled plants that form the base of an estuary's food pyramid. They are crucial to a water body, because they transfer the sun's energy into plant matter and provide nourishment to the next level of organisms. If a great number of phytoplankton exist in the estuary, it is a good indication of the amount of nutrients in the water. Pollutant: Substance in water that can cause disease or harm to the environment. Pollution: Change in the physical, chemical, radiological, or biological quality of a resource (air, land, or water) caused by man or due to man’s activities that is injurious to existing, intended, or potential uses of the resource. Pycnocline - A quick change in water density with changing depth usually attributed to temperature or salinity. Reaeration - Absorption of oxygen into water from the atmosphere. The rate of reaeration is proportional to the oxygen deficit. As air bubbles form and rise through the water, the oxygen dissolves into the water and replenishes the dissolved oxygen. The rising bubbles also cause the lower waters to rise to the surface where they take on more oxygen from the atmosphere. Receiving Water: A body of water such as a stream, river, lake, or ocean, which receives stormwater and wastewater. Respiration - The oxidative process occurring within living cells by which the chemical energy of organic molecules is released in a series of metabolic steps involving the consumption of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide and water. Runoff: The portion of rainfall, melted snow, or other precipitation that flows across the ground surface to a drain, sewer, stream, lake, pond or river. Salinity - Salinity is the measure of the amount of salts dissolved in water. Estuaries exhibit a range of salinity as they are places where saline ocean water mixes with fresh water. Salinity plays a large role in which plants and animals live in different parts of the estuary. Salinity measurements are typically expressed in parts per thousand (ppt). Ocean has about 35 parts of salt per thousand parts of water. Drinking water is usually under 0.5 ppt. Sediment - Fragmental mineral particles from soil and rock materials by the process of erosion, and transported by water, wind, ice, and gravity. Excluded from the definition are vegetation, wood, bacterial and algal slimes and light-weight artificially made substances such as trash, plastics, flue ash, dyes, and semisolids. Septic System - An on-site waste disposal system that is used when sewer systems are not available to take waste to a treatment plant. Septic Tanks: Alternative wastewater treatment process -- such as for homes -- using underground tanks that often hold and clean up to several days worth of wastewater. Uses a combination of settling and anaerobic digestion. Effluent is usually disposed of by leaching. Settled solids are pumped out periodically for disposal. Sewer: An underground pipe or drain used to carry liquid wastes from homes, office buildings, stores, institutions and industries. Sewers should not carry stormwater, except in a combined system. Stormwater Runoff: The portion of rainfall, melted snow or other precipitation that flows across the ground surface to a drain, sewer, stream, lake, pond, or river. Stratification - The layering of a water system into two or more horizontal layers of differing characteristics such as temperature, density, etc. with salt water near the bottom. Submerged Aquatic Vegetation - Plants that grow in the water of estuaries. Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) is an important food source and habitat for many species found in estuaries. Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) is aquatic vegetation found in many estuaries. Total Suspended Solids (TSS): The measurement of the amount of solid matter in the wastewater or effluent, usually moved in parts per million. Turbidity - Turbidity is a measure of the particles suspended in water. Water with a high turbidity value is cloudy while low turbidity values indicate clear water. Many types of particles add to water turbidity: sediment particles, phytoplankton (small floating plants), zooplankton (small floating organisms), and small plant particles. Wastewater: Water that contains waste from homes, factories, offices, stores, industries and the like. Terminology commonly used instead of sewage. Wastewater Treatment Facility: A facility that has various biological, physical, and chemical processes to reduce or eliminate wastewater pollution. Water Column - A theoretical area of water from the surface to the bottom of a stream, lake, or ocean within which the physical and/or chemical properties can be measured. Zooplankton - Minute animal life that passively drifts or weakly swims in a water body, often feeding on phytoplankton.
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