Science / Marine Biology Glossary

Founder Principle: A small colonizing population is genetically unrepresentative of the source of population

Freshet: An increase of water flow into an estuary during the late winter or spring, owing to increased precipitation and snow melt in the watershed

Front: A major discontinuity separating ocean currents and water masses in any combination

Fugitive Species: A species adapted to colonize newly disturbed habitats

Gamete: A mature reproductive cell that is capable of fusing with another gamete of the opposite sex to form a zygote. Male gametes are typically known as sperm and female gametes a typically known . . . View Full Definition

Gametophyte: Haploid stage in the life cycle of a plant

Generalist: A species that can live in many different habitats and can feed on a number of different organisms. For example, shore crabs on the Pacific coast live in a wide variety of habitats, such as . . . View Full Definition

Generation Time: The time period from birth to average age of reproduction

Genes: The hereditary material coded in cells that determine how an organism will look and behave. A gene is a single unit located on a chromosome and is thereby passed from one generation to the n . . . View Full Definition

Genetic Diversity: The genetic variation that occurs within a population or species. For example, there are several different colour dog whelk shells and ochre sea stars. See also biodiversity; compare ecosyst . . . View Full Definition

Genetic Drift: Changes in allele frequencies that can be ascribed to random effects

Genetic Locus: A location on a chromosome (possibly of a diploid organism with variants that segregate according to the rules of Mendelian heredity)

Genetic Polymorphism: Presence of several genetically controlled variants in a population

Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism, with respect to a given genetic locus, the alleles it carries

Genus: (plural: genera) The level of the taxonomic hierarchy above the species but below the family level

Geographic Information System (GIS): A system that allows automatic location of information suitable for mapping. Usually involves a software system that takes geographic position data and other data (e.g., type of bottom sedim . . . View Full Definition

Geostrophic Flow: Movement of water in the oceans as a combined response to the Coriolis effect and gravitational forces created by an uneven sea surface

Geotactic: Moving in response to the earth's gravitational field

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