Aesthetic Value- Contributes beauty to its habitat (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Background Extinction- Standard rate of extinction in earth’s geological and biological history before humans became a primary contributors to extinction (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Ball Drop/Buoy Line- A distinctively shaped and marked float, sometimes carrying a signal or signals, anchored to mark a channel, anchorage, and navigational hazard (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Bequest Value- Leave it behind for the future generations (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Biological Diversity- Made up of genetic, functional and ecosystem diversity, so biological diversity of all three combined as a whole (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Biophilia- Love of nature (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Biotic Potential- Maximum rate at which the population of a given species can increase when there are no limitations on its growth rate (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Bycatch- Fish which are harvested in a fishery, but which are not sold or kept for personal use, and includes economic discards and regulatory discards.  Such term does not include fish released alive under a recreational catch and release fishery management program. Discarded catch of any living marine resource, plus unobserved mortality due to a direct encounter with fishing gear (What is Bycatch, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

Carapace- A bony shell covering some or all of the dorsal part of a turtle (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Carnivorous- Animal that feeds on other animals (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Carrying Capacity- The maximum number of individuals of a species that a region can support. Carrying capacity overshoot results in die off (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Circle Hooks- Turtle-friendly fishing hooks (Loggerhead Turtle, 2015).

CITES- The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals (What is CITES).

Climate- Physical properties of the troposphere of an area based on analysis of its weather records over a long period. Two determining factors are, temperature and precipitation (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Coastal Development-  A large group of private houses or of apartment houses, often of similar design, constructed as a unified community, especially by a real-estate developer or government organization (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Conservation- The act of conserving; prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Continental Shelf- The part of a continent that is submerged in relatively shallow sea (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Devastating-  Tending or threatening to devastate (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Directed Harvest- Intentional harvesting of turtles.

Disorientation- To confuse by removing or obscuring something that has guided (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Docile- Easily managed or handled (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Early Loss- A population trend where there is a large drap in the beginning and the population then levels out (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Ecological Niche- Total way of life or role of a species in an ecosystem  (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Ecosystem- One or more communities of different species interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors of their nonliving environment  (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Ecotourism- Tourism to places having unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Endangered Species- Wild species with so few individuals that the species could soon become extinct (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

ESA- The Endangered Species Act provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Environment- All external conditions, factors, matter, and energy, living and nonliving, that effect any living organism or other specified system (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Erosion- Process or group of processes by which loose or consolidated earth materials, especially topsoil, are dissolved, loosened, or worn away from one place and deposited in another (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Estuaries- That part of the mouth or lower course of a river in which the river's current meets the sea's tide (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Extinction- Complete disappearance of a species from earth (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Fisheries- The occupation or industry of catching, processing, or selling fish or shellfish (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Food Webs- Complex network of many interconnected food chains and feeding relationships (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Functional Diversity- Biological and chemical processes or functions such as energy flow and matter cycling needed for survival of species and biological communities (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Gestation- To carry in the womb during the period from conception to delivery (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Gillnets- A curtain net, vertical in the water, with meshes of such a size as to catch by the gills a fish that has thrust its head through (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Generalist- a person competent in several different fields or activities (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Habitat- Place or type of place where an organism or population of organisms live  (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Hatchlings- A young bird, reptile, or fish recently emerged from an egg (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Instrumental Value- Good for science and/or economics, and/or medicine (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Intrinsic Value- Naturally has the right to life (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Intertidal- Of or relating to the littoral region that is above the low-water mark and below the high-watermark (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Invertebrates- creatures without a backbone (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Keystone Species- Species that play roles in affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem  (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

K-Strategists- Species whose populations increase more slowly. They more closely follow their carrying capacity. They often live longer than r-strategists, reproduce at an older age, have a lower mortality rate, produce fewer offspring, and bear offspring less often (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Long Line- A heavy and very long fishing line with a large number of baited hooks, used in deep-sea commercial fishing (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Migratory- Denoting a creature that moves in and out of a specific geographic area (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Monofilament- Single, generally large filament of synthetic fiber (Dictionary.com, 2015).

MPA’s- A marine protected area (MPA) is a space in the ocean where human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters - similar to parks we have on land - in order to protect certain marine life (What are Marine Protected Areas, 2010).

Mutualism- Type of species interaction in which both participating species generally benefit (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Native- Of indigenous origin, growth, or production (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Nesting Sites- A place used by insects, fishes, turtles, rabbits, etc., for depositing their eggs or young (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Niche- Total way of life or role of a species in an ecosystem (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Nocturnal- Active at night (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Nutrients- Any chemical an organism must take into live, grow, or reproduce (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Omnivores- An animal or person that eats food of both plant and animal origin (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Overpopulated- to fill with an excessive number of [organisms], straining available resources and facilities (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Pelagic- Of or relating to the open seas or oceans (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Pivotal Temperature- Ranging between roughly 83-85 degrees Fahrenheit (28-29 degrees Celsius), at which embryos within a nest develop into a mix of males and females. Temperatures above this range produce females and colder temperatures produce males. They also need temperatures between 25 and 33°C for successful embryo development (Baby Sea Turtles, 11 November, 2015).

Poaching- The illegal practice of trespassing on another’s property to hunt or steal game without the landowner’s permission (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Pollution- The introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Population- Group of individual organisms of the same species living in a particular area (Miller, T. and Spoolman S, 2015).

Positive Feedback Loop- Is a process that occurs in a loop in which the effects of a small disturbance on a system include an increase in the magnitude of the perturbation (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Predation/Predators- Organism that exists by hunting other organisms (Dictionary.com, 2015).

R-Strategists- Species whose populations increase very rapidly, often overshooting their carrying capacity and experiencing a subsequent population crash. They produce many offspring many times starting at a young age (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Resource- a source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readilydrawn upon when needed (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Sargassum- Any seaweed of the genus Sargassum, widely distributed in the warmer waters of the globe (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Shrimp Trawling- A strong fishing net for dragging along the sea bottom (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Species- a class of individuals having some common characteristics (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Species Evenness- Degree to which comparative numbers of individuals of each of the species present in a community are similar (Miller, T. and Spoolman S., 2015).

Subtidal- Of,  relating to, or being the part of the neritic zone lying below the low-tide mark but still shallow and close to shore (Merriam-Webster, 2015).

Sustainable- Ability of earth's various systems, including human cultural systems and economies to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely (Miller, T. and Spoolman S. 2015).

Tide Line- The mark or line left by the tide when it retreats from its highest point (Dictionary.com, 2015).

Tectonic Plates- The two sub-layers of the earth's crust (lithosphere) that move, float, and sometimes fracture and whose interaction causes continental drift, earthquakes,volcanoes, mountains, and oceanic trenches (Dictionary.com, 2015).

WWF - World Wildlife Foundation For more than 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The world's leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by almost five million members worldwide (World Wildlife Fund, 2015).

Wide-Ranging- Extending over a large area; extensive or diversified in scope (Dictionary.com, 2015).