Abiotic - Nonliving.
Abutment - A support structure incorporated in bridge designs.
Acid volatile sulfides (AVS) - An operational definition of the concentration of sulfides present in aquatic sediments. As a precipitant of heavy metals, sulfide is important in controlling the biological availability of metals in anoxic sediments. Therefore, AVS measurements help scientists interpret the measured concentrations of heavy metals in sediment, and the potential for adverse environmental impact.
Aldrin - An insecticide present in trace concentrations in Cayuga Lake sediments.
Algal biomass - The total mass of a hetereogeneous community of algal species.
Algorithims - A step-by-step problem-solving procedure, especially an established, recursive computational procedure with a finite number of steps.
Aliquot - A small volume of water used as a subsample.
Allochthonous - Material originating within the Cayuga Lake watershed and delivered to the lake through the tributaries.
Amphipod - A crustacean of the order Amphipoda with a laterally compressed body and no carapace.
Anoxic - Without oxygen.
Aquatic biota - The community of algae, plants, and animals comprising an aquatic ecosystem.
Attenuation - To lessen the intensity of.
Backscatter - A measure of the intensity of the return signal from a hydroacoustic survey.
Basal area - A common measure of ecological dominance. In woody plants, basal area refers to the cross sectional area at breast height and is expressed as m2/ha or ft2/acre.
Bathymetric - Measurement of the depth and bottom contours and slopes of water body.
Benthic - Associated with the lake bottom or lake sediments.
Benthos - The community of organisms living on or in the lake bottom.
Berm - A narrow ledge or shelf, as along the top or bottom of a slope.
Biochemical oxidation - Metabolism of compounds by organisms to yield energy and chemical byproducts.
Biomass - The total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area.
Biomonitoring - Measuring the response of a biological population or community in order to evaluate environmental impact.
Biota - The flora and fauna of a region.
Biotic habitat - The environment of living organisms.
Byssal thread - Attachment mechanism for Dreissena.
Calendared monofilament geotextile - Non-woven geotextile that has been rolled between cylinders to control thickness.
Chironomids - Type of invertebrae (an ohgochaste worm) present in aquatic sediments.
Chlordane - An insecticide present in Cayuga Lake sediments in trace concentrations.
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants - Any of the various halocarbon compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, and fluorine, once used widely as an aerosol propellant and now believed to cause depletion of the atmospheric ozone layer.
Circumpolar - Located or found in one of the polar regions.
Cladocerans - Small, mostly freshwater crustaceans.
Colorimetrically - Analytical method for measuring concentrations of certain chemicals in aqueous samples.
Copepods - Any of the numerous minute marine and freshwater crustaceans of the subclass Copepoda, having an elongated body and a forked tail.
Coregonines - A subfamily of the family of fishes known as salmonidae (trout and salmon). The coregonines include cisco and whitefish.
Corrugated plate pipe - Pipe constructed from corrugated metal plates; often used for drainage.
Crustacean - Any of the various predominantly aquatic arthropods of the class Crustacea, including lobsters and crabs, characteristically having a segmented body, a chitinous exoskeleton, and paired jointed limbs.
Cryptophytes - A group of phytoplankton present in the Cayuga Lake algal community.
Cyanobacteria - A photosynthetic bacteria, usually blue-green in color, considered part of Cayuga Lake's algal community.
Cyclopoid copepods - A type of copepod (freshwater invertebrate animal) common in Cayuga Lake.
DDD - Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane; an organochlorine pesticide. Degradation product of DDT present in Cayuga Lake sediments in trace concentrations.
DDE - Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene; an organochlorine pesticide. Degradation product of DDT present in Cayuga Lake sediments in trace concentrations.
DDT - An insecticide used widely in the U.S. between 1945-1970. Although banned in the U.S., it is present in lake sediments of many regions, including the Finger Lakes.
Deciduous - Shedding or losing foliage at the end of the growing season.
Detrital organic particles - Decaying plant and animal matter suspended or sinking in a water body.
Detritus - Loose fragments or grains that have been worn away from rock; the mixture of organic and inorganic material in lake sediments.
Diatoms - Group of phytoplankton with silica present in the cell walls.
Diel - Daily.
Dieldrin - A chlorinated hydrocarbon used as an insecticide; present in trace concentrations in Cayuga Lake sediments.
Digibar velocimeter sonde - Provides the actual velocity profile of the water column (for correction of ray bending along non-vertical signal paths).
Dimictic - Lakes having two periods of complete mixing each year in the fall and spring, separated by the winter and summer stratified periods.
Diurnal migration - Refers to the migratory behavior of Mysis relicta in Cayuga Lake; these animals move through the water column over the day.
Dredge spoils - Sediments excavated from a lake bottom and removed to a location outside the lake.
Dreissena - Zebra and quagga mussels.
Dripline - Outside edge of a tree canopy.
Easement - A legal provision, such as right-of-way, afforded to make limited use of another's real property.
Echo-sounding - Aiming sound waves downward in a body of water and using the reflected wavelengths to determine the size and depth of objects in the water column. Also referred to as hydroacoustics.
Ecotone - The transition zone between two different plant communities.
Endosulfan - Water-insoluble compound used as an insecticide; present in trace concentrations in Cayuga Lake sediments.
Entrainment - To carry (suspended particles, for example) along a current. In this document, used to describe the process of being drawn into the LSC intake.
Epilimnion - Warm, upper waters of a thermally-stratified water body.
Escarpment - A steep slope or long cliff caused by erosion or faulting separating two level areas of differing heights.
Eutrophic - Highly biologically productive aquatic ecosystem.
Eutrophication - The natural aging process experienced by lakes. It is characterized by increasing biological productivity and slow filling-in by sediments and other deposits.
Evapotranspiration - The process of transferring moisture from the earth to the atmosphere by evaporation of water and transpiration from plants.
Exophthalmia - Abnormal protrusion of the eyeball (bulging eyes).
Exopod - Appendages used by Mysis for swimming.
Fathometer - A sonar instrument used to measure depths underwater (sonic depth finder).
Fauna - The community of animals in a specific region or habitat.
Fiducials - Regarded or employed as a standard of reference, as in surveying.
Flange - A protruding rim, edge, rib, or collar, as on a pipe shaft, used to strengthen an object, hold it in place, or attach it to another object.
Flora - The community of plants in a particular region or environment.
Fluvial silt - Soil particles within a given size range transported to the sediment through water movement.
Flyway - A seasonal route followed by birds migrating to and from their breeding areas.
Forb - A broad-leaved herb other than grass, such as one growing in a field, prairie, or meadow.
Fragipan - A subsoil layer consisting of high bulk density, brittle when moist and very hard when dry.
Gabion - A wire cage filled with rocks used to stabilize streambanks.
Galvanic anode cathodic protection system - Corrosion protection system for metal underground systems.
Gas bubble disease - When gas bubbles form in the blood and tissues of aquatic animals who are exposed to water supersaturated with dissolved gases.
Glacially carved trough - A stretch of land existing at a lower elevation than land on either side caused by the passage of a glacier.
Glacial till - Non-stratified sediment carried or deposited by a glacier.
Gravely substrate - A layer of gravel lying underneath a layer of a different material.
Harpacticoid copepods - A type of benthic copepod.
Heptachlor - An insecticide present in Cayuga Lake sediments in trace concentrations.
Heptachlor epoxide - An insecticide present in low concentrations in Cayuga Lake sediments.
Herbaceous - Leafy trees and plants.
Hexachlorocyclohexanes - An insecticide present in low concentrations in Cayuga Lake sediments.
Hummocks - A low mound or ridge of earth.
Hydric soils - Soil that is saturated, flooded, or ponded during the growing season.
Hydroacoustic surveys - The transmission and receipt of high frequency sound to estimate the number and density of a particular target organism (such as fish in a water body).
Hydrocarbons - Any of a class of compounds containing only hydrogen and carbon.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) - An interim replacement coolant for CFCs; contains less chlorine than CFCs, however, the USEPA has ruled for a complete replacement of HCFCs by 2030.
Hydrodynamic flow field - Region of ambient lake water movement induced by the pumping effect of the pipeline intake.
Hydrologic inflow - Inflows of water by precipitation and/or runoff to a water body.
Hydrologic regime - The characteristic pattern of precipitation, runoff, infiltration, and evaporation affecting a water body.
Hydrophobic - Having little or no affinity for water.
Hydrophytic - Plant community tolerant of saturated soils.
Hydroseeding - The application of a slurry of seed, fertilizer, water, and other materials.
Hydrostatic - The branch of hydrodynamics that deals with the statics of fluids, usually confined to the equilibrium and pressure of liquids.
Hypolimnion - Cold, deep waters of a thermally stratified water body.
Indigenous - Originating in and characterizing a particular region; native.
Inorganic turbidity - The portion of turbidity (light scattering in a water sample) resulting from inorganic (i.e., not containing the element carbon) particles.
Insect larvae - The immature, wingless, feeding stage of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis.
Invertebrates - An animal lacking a backbone or spinal column.
Irradiance - Incident flux of radiant energy per unit area.
Isothermal - Constant temperature.
Jacking pit - An excavation performed to allow for horizontal boring (tunneling) between two locations.
Labile phosphorus - A fraction of phosphorus loosely bound to the sediment matrix, likely to desorb to the aqueous matrix.
Lacustrine wetlands - Wetlands and deeper habitats with all of the following characteristics: 1) situated in a topographic depression or a dammed river channel; 2) lacking trees, shrubs, persistent emergents, emergent mosses, or lichens with greater than 30 percent coverage; and 3) total area exceeds 20 acres.
Laminar flow - The mechanics of a viscous fluid in which particles of the fluid move in parallel layers, each of which has a constant velocity but is in motion relative to its neighboring layers.
Lampricide - A chemical with specific toxicity to the sea lamphrey.
Limnological - Pertaining to the physical, geographical, biological features of bodies of fresh water (lakes and ponds).
Littoral zone - The depth zone between high water and low water. This zone provides habitat for submerged or partially submerged aquatic vegetation along the shoreline.
Macroinvertebrates - Multi-cellular organisms and insects without a backbone. Visible without a microscope.
Macrophytes - Rooted vascular aquatic plants and algae.
Macrozoobenthos - Multi-cellular animals inhabiting the sediments and detrital materials at the bottom of a water body.
Mesotrophic - Intermediate state of biological productivity in a water body.
Metalimnion - Transition layer between the epilimnion and hypolimnion of a stratified lake.
Methoxychlor - Slightly water-soluble compound often used for blackfly and mosquito larval control. Present in trace concentrations in Cayuga Lake sediments.
Microbathymetric - Detailed contours and slopes of a selected area of the bottom of a water body.
Microbial decomposition - The breaking down of complex molecules into constituent parts or elements by microorganisms.
Microclimate - The climate of a small area, of confined spaces such as plant areas, wooded areas, etc.
Microtunneling - A construction technique using boring instead of open cut.
Migratory - Passing periodically from one region to another.
Mitigation - The lessening in force or intensity.
Molybdate - A salt of molybdic acid (H2MoO4). Used in the colorimetric assay of phosphorus.
Monofilament experimental gill nets - Type of net used to collect fish.
Monomictic - A lake with one period of thermal stratification and one period of complete mixing each year, such as Cayuga Lake.
Morphometry - The physical characteristics of a water body such as depth, surface area, and shape.
Mussel fouling - Infestation/colonization by Dreissena or other mussel.
Mysidacea - An order of the crustaceans. Mysidaceans look like tiny shrimp and are a major food source for lake trout in Cayuga Lake.
Nematodes - Any unsegmented worm of the phylum or class Nematoda; having an elongated, cylindrical body; a round worm.
Net tows - Towing a net across a predetermined transect of the lake and identifying and enumerating the organisms caught.
Nonoxidizing organic mollescicides - Organic chemicals (non-oxidizing) used to kill Dreissena.
Ogliotrophic - A water body with low nutrient input and concentration, characterized by relatively low amount of biological activity.
Oligochaetes - Any of a group of annelids, including earthworms and certain small, freshwater species having locomotory setae sunk directly in the body wall.
Omnivore - Organism that consumes both plant and animal material.
Oostegites - Anatomical feature of female Mysis relicta; organs that develop and release eggs to the brood pouch.
Open-cut excavations - An excavation that has stable side slopes without bracing.
Organochlorine pesticides - A class of pesticides containing chlorine.
Oscillation - Swinging to and from (as a pendulum); vibration.
Outfall - The outlet or place of discharge of a river, drain, sewer, etc.
Outwash Aquifer - Subsurface deposit of sand and gravel-sized particles deposited by glacial meltwater, contains groundwater.
Overstory - Upper portion of a woods made up of tree branches and leaves; tree canopy.
Peaking chillers - Use of electrically-driven chillers to meet peak cooling demand on campus.
Pelagic crustacean - Aquatic invertebrates in the class crustacea that are found in the water column.
Persulfate digestion - A step in the colorimetric assay of phosphorus.
Petroleum distillates - A class of organic compounds formed during oil refining.
Photic zone - The zone of light penetration in the upper waters where photosynthesis can occur.
Photopigments - Chemical compounds that capture various wavelengths of sunlight energy to conduct photosynthesis.
Phytoplankton - Algal community suspended in the water column.
Pig/Pigging - Flexible plugs used for cleaning pipelines; the process of cleaning pipelines with pigs.
Plume - The effect of a release of a fluid into a stable medium.
PM-10 - Inhalable particulates of a given size class.
Pocket penetrometer - A hand-held instrument used to measure shear strength which indicates unconfined compressive strength.
Polycyclic aromatic - Any of a class of organic compounds containing more than one ring of unsaturated carbon atoms.
Polypropylene filaments - Type of plastic woven into nets.
Portage escarpment - Geological formation.
Potable - Fit or suitable for drinking.
Profundal zone - The part of a water body below the depth to which sunlight penetration can support aquatic plants.
Propagation - The act of multiplication by a plant or animal by any process of natural reproduction from the parent stock.
Radiograph - A photographic image produced by the action of x-rays or rays from radioactive substances.
Secchi disk - A black and white colored disk used to measure depth of water clarity by lowering into a water body by an attached string.
Sedimentation - Soil, sand, and minerals washed from land into water usually after rain; or the process of particle deposition into lake sediments.
Seiche - An oscillation of the water of an aquatic system caused by wind changes in barometric pressure, etc.
Sieve Analysis - The characterization of soil texture using different size mesh screens to separate different particle sizes.
Silt curtain - A temporary barrier of geotextile material used to contain sediments within a defined zone in the aquatic environment.
Silt fence - A temporary barrier of geotextile used to intercept sediment laden runoff from small drainage areas of disturbed soil.
Silt loam - A soil consisting of silt, sand, and clay with the majority of the particles in the silt category.
Siphonic - Ability to be siphoned; to draw liquid from one location to another.
Soluble reactive phosphorus - An operational definition of a phosphorus fraction in water. Considered by researchers to represent the biologically available fraction of P.
Sonar transducers - Instrument sending sound waves into the water.
Sorption isotherm - An analytical technique to estimate the concentration of labile phosphorus in a soil sample by successive desorption assays and measurement of soluble reactive P in the aqueous fraction.
Spatial variation - Changes in conditions over area.
Spectroradiometer - An instrument for determining the radiant-energy distribution in a spectrum.
Sperry gyrocompass - Used to provide ship heading/transducer array orientation compensation.
Split-spoon core - Five-foot hollow center section of an auger bit of a drill which fills up with soil.
Stoichiometric - Calculation of the quantities of chemical elements or compounds involved in a chemical reaction.
Stratigraphy - A branch of geology dealing with the classification, nomenclature, correlations,and interpretation of stratified rocks.
Stratum - A layer of material, naturally or artificially formed, often one of a number of parallel layers placed one upon another.
Talus layer - A sloping mass of rocky fragments at the base of a cliff.
Taxa - The name of a layer in the vertical system of nomenclature of living things.
Terrestrial - Of, or pertaining to, land as opposed to "aquatic."
Thermal gradient - The rate of temperature change with respect to distance.
Thermal stratification - The layering of a lake or body of water into distinct layers of different density caused by temperature differences.
Thermocline - The plane in the metalimnion where the rate of change of temperature with depth is at a maximum.
Topography - The relief features or surface configuration of an area.
Total suspended particulates - An indication of all the measurable solid matter in a sample of liquid.
Transient migratory - A species that migrates through a region and is not present year-round.
Trawl survey - A method of collecting biological specimens (such as fish) by towing a net at a defined depth in a water body.
Tree crown - The highest point of the tree.
Tributaries - A stream contributing its flow to a larger stream or other body of water.
Turbidity - A measurement of light scattering in a water sample.
Understory - The lower layer of plants and shrubs in a forest ecosystem.
Veligers - Immature mussels.
Viscosity - The property of a fluid that resists the force tending to cause the fluid to flow.
Volitional swimming speed - Maximum swimming speed an organism can achieve in an avoidance or attraction reaction.
Waterfowl - A water bird; swimming bird.
Waterhammer - The concussion which results when a moving volume of water in a pipe is suddenly stopped.
Water table - The boundary between saturated and unsaturated soils.
Zooplanktivores - Descriptor for the portion of an aquatic biota which feeds on zooplankton.
Zooplankton - Small animals present in the water column.
