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     Here is a listing of commonly used terminology in marine mammal science and particularly on this page.

ambergris

an aromatic substance occasionally found in the gastrointestinal tract of some great whales, formerly valued greatly in the manufacture of perfumes.

baleen

a substance made of a protein called keratin that forms "plates" in the mouths of some whales; used to strain their food. Also known as whalebone.

baleen whales

whales belonging to the sub-order mysticetes. These whales lack teeth which have been replaced by a series of baleen plates that serve as strainers for collecting food.

biosonar

the use of sound by animals to gain information about the distance, shape, movement, or other properties of objects in their environment. While research on captive animals has found that biosonar in some species is a highly capable discrimination tool, very little research has been done on how biosonar is actually used in the wild. The simple presence of pulsed vocalizations by cetaceans does not necessarily mean that biosonar is in use, contrary to popular opinion.

blowhole

the nasal opening(s) of whales.

blubber

a thick layer of fat found in marine birds and mammals that is used for insulation, an aid in buoyancy and as an energy reserve.

bradycardia

a physiological mechanism by which the heart rate is able to be slowed in order to use oxygen most efficiently; used by some animals during times of oxygen depravation such as deep water dives.

breaching

a spectacular behavior exhibited by whales in which the animal propels itself out of the water and clears the surface with at least two-thirds of its body.

bull

a male cetacean.

by-catch

the total number of non-target organisms caught incidentally in non-selective fishing gear.

CITES

the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. An international treaty designed to protect endangered species from the pressures of commercial trade.

calf

a newborn cetacean.

carnivore

an organism that eats meat. A predatory organism that feeds on the bodies of other animals.

carrying capacity

the maximum number of organisms that an ecosystem can support on a continued basis, usually determined by the availability of space, water, food and light.

cephalopod

the class of marine invertebrates that includes squid, octopus, cuttlefish and others.

cerebral cortex

the portion of the vertebrate brain in which learning, reasoning, sensory perception, memory and the coordination of most bodily activity occurs.

cetacea

the order of marine mammals including whales, dolphins and porpoises.

cow

a female cetacean.

delphinidae

the family of cetaceans including dolphins.

dorsal

pertaining to the back.

driftnet

a huge net made of nylon mesh measuring between 1.25 and 90 miles in length and 8 and 15 feet in depth that is left to "drift" in the ocean for periods of eight hours or more.

ESA

the Endangered Species Act. A law passed by the United States Congress in 1973 that is designed to protect species endangered or threatened with extinction.

echolocation

a method of orientation used by dolphins, whales and bats in which the size and position of objects are determined by emitting sounds and listening for the echoes that bounce back from them.

endangered

applies to those species in danger of extinction within all or a significant portion of their range.

endemic

unique to a particular region; found nowhere else.

escort

an adult whale that accompanies a cow-calf pod.

flukes

the two horizontally broadened fins that comprise a whale's tail. Each individual lobe is called a fluke.

gill net

relatively small nylon fish nets that are anchored or left to drift near the coast.

head lunging

an aggressive behavior exhibited by whales whereby one whale forcefully lunges its head at another whale; believed to ward off competitors.

herbivore

an organism that eats plants or their products; a primary consumer.

high seas

those regions of the ocean that fall outside the 200 mile legal boundary of ocean that surrounds any country or territory; often referred to as "the global commons"

IWC

the International Whaling Commission; the international organization founded in 1946 to manage and conserve populations of the great whales for the benefit of future generations.

incidental catch

non-target species collected as a result of using non-selective fishing gear; see by-catch.

indigenous

naturally occurring in more than one place.

indiscriminate

non-selective; random.

keratin

a sulfur-containing protein that makes up hard tissues such as nails, horns and the outermost cells of skin.

krill

small planktonic marine shrimp; a favorite food of baleen whales.

longlines

a fishing technology whereby long fishing lines measuring more than 1 nautical mile (1.15 miles) in length with several branch lines with multiple baited hooks are towed behind fishing vessels with the intent of catching large pelagic fishes such as mahi mahi, marlin and tuna.

MMPA

the Marine Mammal Protection Act. An Act passed by the United States Congress in 1972 that prohibits the hunting, killing, harassing, or injuring of marine mammals by any person under U.S. jurisdiction; limited exceptions apply.

mammals

animals belonging to the class of vertebrates that are warm-blooded, bear live young and nurse them with milk. Also associated with the possession of hair or fur for body covering.

Marine Mammal Commission

a scientific advisory board comprised of experts that oversees the administration of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

melon

a large lens-shaped organ found in the forehead of dolphins and toothed whales that concentrates and emits the sounds used in echolocation.

molting

the regular shedding of an outer body covering such as fur, skin or feathers. Occurs in Hawaiian monk seals.

monogamous

applies to individuals or species that have only one mate at a time.

moratorium

the legal banning of a particular activity for a defined period of time.

mysticetes

the sub-order of whales that includes baleen whales.

odontocetes

the sub-order of whales that includes toothed-whales.

order

the fourth level used in biological classification.

PCBs

polychlorinated biphenyls. A group of industrial chemicals (of the chlorinated hydrocarbon class) that are commonly used and have become serious and widespread pollutants. They are extremely resistant to breakdown and have contaminated most of the earth's food chains, resulting in biomagnification at higher trophic levels. Known to cause cancer.

peduncle

the 'tail stock' of a cetacean which the flukes are attached to.

pirate whaling

whaling that is considered illegal following the enactment of the moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986.

poacher

a person who takes wildlife or products derived from wildlife illegally.

pod

a social group of whales.

polygamous

applies to individuals or species that have more than one mate at a time.

population

a group of individuals, most often of the same species, that occupy a particular region at the same time.

predator

an organism that feeds upon another.

prey

in a feeding relationship, the organism that is killed and eaten by another.

purse seine

a fishing technique whereby nylon nets measuring up to 1 mile in length and 325 feet deep are used to encircle whole schools of fish and/or dolphins, and the bottom of the net is pulled closed, much like a drawstring purse, to retain the catch.

rorqual

common group name for the Balaenopterid whales (blue, fin, sei, Bryde's, minke). Rorquals are fast-moving lunge-feeders with relatively short baleen.

rostrum

the structure formed by the forward-projecting parts of the jaws in some marine mammals. The "nose" of the bottlenose dolphin is actually a rostrum. It really isn't a "nose" at all, since the nasal passages don't come anywhere near it.

salt gland

a gland found in some animals (particularly marine) that is used to rid their bodies of excess salts.

scientific whaling

whaling for the purpose of scientific data collection that is legally permitted under the commercial whaling moratorium of 1986.

sexual dimorphism

the ability to distinguish between males and females of the same species on the basis of external body characteristics.

species

all the populations of organisms that are capable of breeding under natural conditions and that are reproductively isolated from other organisms; the basic lower unit of biological classification.

spout

the exhaled breath of a whale; appears like a cloud of condensation above the water.

spyhop

a behavior where a cetacean lifts its head vertically from the water to look around.

subsistence

pertaining to the survival or continued existence of; means of support or livelihood.

target species

those species which are intended to be hunted or fished.

taxonomy

the science of biological classification.

threatened

applies to those species likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.

toothed whales

whales and dolphins belonging to the sub-order odontocetes, that have teeth.

trade embargo

a prohibition of the importation of products from one country into another.

ventral

pertaining to the underside or belly.