Discovering Northern Elephant Seals

	Title Page \| Preface \| Close This Window «« Table of Contents \| « Previous Page \| Next Page »
	Creating Coastal Stewardship through Science Vocabulary Acid capable of reacting with and dissolving certain metals to form salts; having a sour taste; a substance capable of giving up a proton Adaptations an organism's adjustment to environmental conditions that makes it more fit for survival Advocacy the active support of a cause Alpha a male (elephant seal) that has secured dominance over other males for mating rights Blubber the thick layer of fat between skin and muscle layers of marine mammals, a way of storing energy when food is available that keeps elephant seals warm in cold water Bull an adult male elephant seal (also, adult male cattle and elk) Carrying capacity maximum population of a species that can be sustained in a habitat over the long term; usually refers to a particular species, but can be applied to more than one Conservation the wise and careful use of earth's resources Consumer a species that relies on other plants or animals for food Cow adult female elephant seal (also, adult female cattle and elk) Delayed Implantation for elephant seals, the fertilized egg floats in the uterus for up to 3 months before it implants and develops into a fetus Diatoms tiny, single-celled algae that form at the bottom of the food pyramid Dominance high status in a social group El Niño a warm ocean current that develops along the coast of Ecuador and Peru and can cause catastrophic weather conditions Endangered threatened with extinction Environmentally Friendly behaviors, actions, or products toward a healthy environment Extinction the condition of being gone forever Fetus a developing organism, prior to birth First order consumer an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on plants or other animals Food chain a series of organisms linked together by their feeding habits Food pyramid a diagram that shows the relationship between producers and consumers in a food web Forage search for food Fourth order consumer an organism at the top of the food pyramid Gestation time between fertilization and the birth of an offspring Habitat the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism, "address" Harem a group of females associated with one male for protection and reproduction (elephant seals and tule elk form harems) Haul-out the place where a seal or sea lion comes to land to rest, mate, molt or give birth; the act of coming out of the ocean and onto shore Krill small marine crustaceans that are the major food source of baleen whales, but also eaten by elephant seals Metabolism the sum total of chemical changes that occur in an organism, elephant seals break down blubber to provide energy. ex: low metabolism or high metabolism Mission an overriding goal or strategy used for management, what one believes in Molt to shed a skin layer and connected hair to make way for new skin and hair underneath National Park System areas of national significance, scenic beauty, or historic importance, preserved for the use and enjoyment of this and future generations National Park Service people who manage the National Park System National Seashore an area of seacoast set aside and preserved for the public good Niche the ecological role, position, or function of an organism in a community of plants and animals, "profession" Phytoplankton plankton of plant origin Pinniped order of mammals including seals, sea lions, and walruses Plankton microscopic plants and animals floating on the ocean's surface; the primary food source of many marine animals Population organisms of the same species that occur in a particular place at a given time; a population may contain several discrete breeding groups or stocks Preservation protecting and keeping in an unaltered condition Primary Producer plant producing energy from sunlight Proboscis a long, flexible snout (nose) Pup a newborn elephant seal Rehabilitation restoration to a condition of health Research scholarly or scientific investigation to understand how things work, used to form basis for management decisions Restoration returning something to its original state Second Order Consumer an organism, usually an animal, that feeds on other animals Semiannual occurring twice a year Sleep apnea cessation in breathing while sleeping Social behavior behavior between animals Stewardship taking care of the environment by being involved; taking action and participating in clean ups and education programs, helping others become more aware, and making responsible choicesv Subadult 2 a male elephant seal with a definite large nose, (but not long enough to touch the ground while lying on belly), and no chest shield Subadult 3 a male elephant seal with a nose long enough to touch the ground when lying on belly, a slightly developed chest shield, and some scarring Subadult 4 a male elephant seal with a developed nose, (but not a fully developed notch above the nose) and a chest shield that does not rise above the eyes. Third order consumer an organism, usually an animal, that is a predator Toxin a poisonous substance Value an amount considered to be an equal exchange for something else Weaned no longer receiving nourishment through nursing Weaner a pup that no longer relies on mothers' milk, under one year of age Worth the quality of something that makes it desirable, useful, or valuable Yearling an elephant seal that is one year old and has not completed its second year, harbor seal size, blonder, and smaller than all other adults on the beach Zooplankton small (often microscopic) aquatic animals suspended or weakly swimming in water
	«« Table of Contents \| « Previous Page \| Top of Page \| Next Page »
	© Copyright, 2000, by Point Reyes Nationanl Seashore Association.

Creating Coastal Stewardship through Science