El NiñoEl Niño (ɛl_ˈniːnjoʊ , el ˈniɲo; The Boy) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date Line and 120°W), including the area off the Pacific coast of South America. The ENSO is the cycle of warm and cold sea surface temperature (SST) of the tropical central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Marine protected areaMarine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conservation purpose, typically to protect natural or cultural resources. Such marine resources are protected by local, state, territorial, native, regional, national, or international authorities and differ substantially among and between nations.
Sea cucumberSea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea (ˌhɒləˌθjʊəˈrɔɪdi.ə,_ˌhoʊ-). They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of known holothurian (ˌhɒləˈθjʊəri.ən,_ˌhoʊ-) species worldwide is about 1,717, with the greatest number being in the Asia-Pacific region. Many of these are gathered for human consumption and some species are cultivated in aquaculture systems.
Sea turtleSea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley sea turtles. All of the seven species listed above, except for the flatback, are present in US waters, and are listed as endangered and/or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The flatback itself exists in the waters of Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Marshall IslandsThe Marshall Islands (Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),NoteTag|Pronunciations:* English: Republic of the Marshall Islands ˈmɑrʃəl_ˈaɪləndzAolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ (hawelepan haw&r&kin mhahjelh) is an island country near Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the International Date Line. Geographically, the country is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The nation's population of 42,050 people (at the 2021 World Bank Census) is spread out over five islands and 29 coral atolls, comprising 1,156 individual islands and islets.
Photic zoneThe photic zone, euphotic zone, epipelagic zone, or sunlight zone is the uppermost layer of a body of water that receives sunlight, allowing phytoplankton to perform photosynthesis. It undergoes a series of physical, chemical, and biological processes that supply nutrients into the upper water column. The photic zone is home to the majority of aquatic life due to the activity (primary production) of the phytoplankton. In the photic zone, the photosynthesis rate exceeds the respiration rate.
SeychellesSeychelles (seɪˈʃɛlz, -ˈʃɛl,_ˈseɪʃɛl(z); sɛʃɛl seʃɛl), officially the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles; Creole: La Repiblik Sesel), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, is east of mainland Africa. Nearby island countries and territories include the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the French overseas departments of Mayotte and Réunion to the south; and Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago (administered by the United Kingdom as the British Indian Ocean Territory) to the east.
MauiThe island of Maui (ˈmaʊi; Hawaiian: ˈmɐwwi) is the second-largest island of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2), and the 17th-largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which include Molokai, Lānai, and unpopulated Kahoolawe. In 2020, Maui had a population of 168,307, the third-highest of the Hawaiian Islands, behind Oahu and Hawaii Island. Kahului is the largest census-designated place (CDP) on the island, with a population of 28,219 , and the island's commercial and financial hub.
SymbiodiniumSymbiodinium is a genus of dinoflagellates that encompasses the largest and most prevalent group of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates known. These unicellular microalgae commonly reside in the endoderm of tropical cnidarians such as corals, sea anemones, and jellyfish, where the products of their photosynthetic processing are exchanged in the host for inorganic molecules. They are also harbored by various species of demosponges, flatworms, mollusks such as the giant clams, foraminifera (soritids), and some ciliates.
Fringing reefA fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reef. It is distinguished from the other main types, barrier reefs and atolls, in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone (lagoon) or none at all. If a fringing reef grows directly from the shoreline, then the reef flat extends to the beach and there is no backreef. In other cases (e.g., most of the Bahamas), fringing reefs may grow hundreds of yards from shore and contain extensive backreef areas within which it contains food and water, examples are Philippines, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the western coast of Australia, the Caribbean, East Africa, and Red Sea.
