Underwater Forrest Science words

Cindy P.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. growth ring
    an annual formation of wood in plants as they grow
    The trees' growth rings could reveal secrets about the climate of the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are today.
  2. bald cypress
    common cypress of southeastern United States having trunk expanded at base; found in coastal swamps and flooding river bottoms
    The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.
  3. sea anemone
    marine polyps that resemble flowers but have oral rings of tentacles; differ from corals in forming no hard skeleton
    The forest had become an artificial reef, attracting fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and other underwater life burrowing between the roots of dislodged stumps.
  4. cypress tree
    any of numerous evergreen conifers of the genus Cupressus of north temperate regions having dark scalelike leaves and rounded cones
    The stumps of the cypress trees span an area of at least 0.5 square miles (1.3 kilometers), several miles from the coast of Mobile, Ala., and sit about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.
  5. marine animal
    any of numerous animals inhabiting the sea including e.g. fishes and molluscs and many mammals
    Despite its discovery only recently, the underwater landscape has just a few years to be explored, before wood-burrowing marine animals destroy the ancient forest.
  6. radiocarbon
    a radioactive isotope of carbon
    "The longer this wood sits on the bottom of the ocean, the more marine organisms burrow into the wood, which can create hurdles when we are trying to get radiocarbon dates," Harley said.
  7. molecular weight
    (chemistry) the sum of the relative atomic masses of the constituent atoms of a molecule
    Carbon isotopes (atoms of the same element that have different molecular weights) revealed that the trees were about 52,000 years old.
  8. isotope
    atom with same atomic number, different number of neutrons
    Carbon isotopes (atoms of the same element that have different molecular weights) revealed that the trees were about 52,000 years old.
  9. crustacean
    mainly aquatic arthropod usually having a segmented body
    The forest had become an artificial reef, attracting fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and other underwater life burrowing between the roots of dislodged stumps.
  10. cypress
    any of numerous evergreen conifers of the genus Cupressus of north temperate regions having dark scalelike leaves and rounded cones
    The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.
  11. glacial period
    any period of time during which glaciers covered a large part of the earth's surface
    The trees' growth rings could reveal secrets about the climate of the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are today.
  12. sediment
    matter that has been deposited by some natural process
    The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.
  13. anemone
    a marine polyp that resembles a flower
    The forest had become an artificial reef, attracting fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and other underwater life burrowing between the roots of dislodged stumps.
  14. meter
    a basic unit of length (approximately 1.094 yards)
    The stumps of the cypress trees span an area of at least 0.5 square miles (1.3 kilometers), several miles from the coast of Mobile, Ala., and sit about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.
  15. sea level
    level of the ocean's surface
    The trees' growth rings could reveal secrets about the climate of the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are today.
  16. estuary
    the wide part of a river where it nears the sea
    The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.
  17. molecular
    relating to the simplest units of an element or compound
    Carbon isotopes (atoms of the same element that have different molecular weights) revealed that the trees were about 52,000 years old.
  18. marine
    of or relating to the sea
    Despite its discovery only recently, the underwater landscape has just a few years to be explored, before wood-burrowing marine animals destroy the ancient forest.
  19. glacial
    relating to or derived from a slowly moving mass of ice
    The trees' growth rings could reveal secrets about the climate of the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are today.
  20. scientist
    a person with advanced knowledge of empirical fields
    Primeval forest Raines reached out to several scientists to learn more about the forest.
  21. hurricane
    a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds
    The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.
  22. analyze
    break down into components or essential features
    The research team created a sonar map of the area and analyzed two samples Raines took from trees.
  23. wildlife
    all living things in an area that aren't tamed
    The dive shop owner confided that a local fisherman had found a site teeming with fish and wildlife and suspected that something big was hidden below.
  24. endangered
    in imminent threat of extinction
    [8 of the World's Most Endangered Places] Closely guarded secret Raines was talking with a friend who owned a dive shop about a year after Hurricane Katrina.
  25. atom
    the smallest component of an element
    Carbon isotopes (atoms of the same element that have different molecular weights) revealed that the trees were about 52,000 years old.
  26. organism
    a living thing that can act or function independently
    "The longer this wood sits on the bottom of the ocean, the more marine organisms burrow into the wood, which can create hurdles when we are trying to get radiocarbon dates," Harley said.
  27. geological
    of or relating to the study of Earth and its structure
    [World's Weirdest Geological Formations] In addition, because bald cypress trees can live a thousand years, and there are so many of them, the trees could contain thousands of years of climate history for the region, Harley said.
  28. oxygen
    a colorless, odorless gas that is essential for respiration
    The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.
  29. carbon
    an abundant nonmetallic element in all organic compounds
    Carbon isotopes (atoms of the same element that have different molecular weights) revealed that the trees were about 52,000 years old.
  30. climate
    the weather in some location averaged over a period of time
    The trees' growth rings could reveal secrets about the climate of the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are today.
  31. artificial
    contrived by art rather than nature
    The forest had become an artificial reef, attracting fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and other underwater life burrowing between the roots of dislodged stumps.
  32. environment
    the totality of surrounding conditions
    The bald cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.
  33. element
    a substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances
    Carbon isotopes (atoms of the same element that have different molecular weights) revealed that the trees were about 52,000 years old.
  34. level
    a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
    The trees' growth rings could reveal secrets about the climate of the Gulf of Mexico thousands of years ago, during a period known as the Wisconsin Glacial period, when sea levels were much lower than they are today.
Created on Tue Jul 30 13:38:30 EDT 2013

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