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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. coral
    a very small ocean creature that often forms reefs
    Corals have a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae, called zooxanthellae, that live in their tissues.
  2. microscopic
    so small as to be invisible without a magnifying device
    Corals have a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae, called zooxanthellae, that live in their tissues.
  3. algae
    primitive chlorophyll-containing aquatic organisms
    Corals have a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae, called zooxanthellae, that live in their tissues.
  4. expel
    eliminate
    When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, becoming completely white.
  5. reef
    a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the water's surface
    In 2005, the U.S. lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event.
  6. comparison
    the act of examining resemblances
    Comparison of satellite data from the previous 20 years confirmed that thermal stress from the 2005 event was greater than the previous 20 years combined.
  7. thermal
    relating to or associated with heat
    Comparison of satellite data from the previous 20 years confirmed that thermal stress from the 2005 event was greater than the previous 20 years combined.
  8. comprehensive
    broad in scope
    A four-year study, which began in the summer of 2004, collected the first comprehensive time series of measurements from a fringing reef in the Gulf of Suez, in the Red Sea.
  9. subject
    cause to experience or suffer or make vulnerable to
    However, since that time the reef has been subjected to many new stresses, including a newly built major shipping port, rapid coastal urbanization, and an oil spill in 2005.
  10. coastal
    of or relating to the shoreline
    However, since that time the reef has been subjected to many new stresses, including a newly built major shipping port, rapid coastal urbanization, and an oil spill in 2005.
  11. urbanization
    the social process whereby cities grow
    However, since that time the reef has been subjected to many new stresses, including a newly built major shipping port, rapid coastal urbanization, and an oil spill in 2005.
  12. species
    taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
    Of the approximately 40 known coral species hardy enough to survive in this region, only five species make up 94% of the reef’s coral cover.
  13. hardy
    able to survive under unfavorable weather conditions
    Of the approximately 40 known coral species hardy enough to survive in this region, only five species make up 94% of the reef’s coral cover.
  14. transect
    cut across or divide transversely
    They conducted an 18 m2 transect sampling of the reef.
Created on Mon Jun 10 16:09:25 EDT 2019 (updated Fri Jun 14 14:19:33 EDT 2019)

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