Glossary

Inorganic chemical compounds that algae ingest in large quantities and require in order to produce biomass.

In oceanography, a marginal sea is a secondary sea that, unlike mediterranean seas, is situated on the edge of the mainland and is separated from the open ocean by archipelagos or peninsulas. Examples include the Bering Sea, North Sea, and Sea of Japan.

In glaciology, the difference between a body of ice’s mass gain and mass loss is referred to as its mass balance.

Autonomous measuring system that uses acoustic methods to determine sea-ice and snow thickness.

Refers to a group of small animals – as a rule, between 0.3 and 1 mm in diameter – that chiefly live in marine sediments but can also be found in terrestrial habitats. In terms of size, they lie between the microfauna and macrofauna.

Every summer, the snow cover on Arctic sea ice melts completely, leaving behind ponds of meltwater.

This global “conveyor belt” redistributes massive amounts of heat, salt, nutrients and gases among all oceans.

Multicellular, heterotrophic organisms belonging to the animal kingdom. Unlike single-celled organisms like protozoans, metazoans are composed of multiple cells, which are subdivided into specialised tissues and organs capable of performing a range of functions.

Gaseous hydrocarbon.

A type of electromagnetic wave.

An extensive underwater mountain range that can in some cases include individual islands above sea level.

Model used to explain the occurrence of glacial and interglacial periods by means of quasi-periodic variations in Earth’s orbit, which result in changed exposure to solar radiation.

Single-celled or multicellular eukaryotic lifeform (microorganism) that can use a mix of organic / inorganic sources of carbon, i.e., can also use photosynthesis.

Mixotrophs are those organisms that can use a mix of organic / inorganic sources of carbon, i.e., can also use photosynthesis.

Regulates the consumption and production of chemicals containing chlorine or bromine, which can destroy stratospheric ozone.

Old ice that is at least two metres thick and has survived at least two summers.