Oceans’ Jargon Translator

Sep 26, 2012 by

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 Gulf of Mexico Fisheries & Restoration: Jargon Translator

 

Understand the Terminology

 

A-Z Jargon Translator: Understanding the Terminology.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U-V W-Z

A

adaptive management

 A management approach that empowers natural resource managers to adjust action plans over time as new information is uncovered through ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

aftercare

 A management program that follows decommissioning of oil rigs and is aimed at achieving measurable restoration objectives.

anadromous species

 Fish that spend most of their lives in saltwater, but migrate into freshwater to spawn.

aquaculture

 The farming of aquatic organisms including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants.

B

bbl

 See barrel.

(BOEMRE)

 See Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.

BPD

 See barrels per day.

BPEO

 See best practical environmental option.

barrel (bbl)

 A unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons or 159 liters at 60 degrees F, often used to measure volume in oil production, transportation, and trade.

barrels per day (BPD)

 A measure of the rate of flow of a well; total amount of oil and other fluids produced, processed, or transported per day.

barrier island

 A sedimentary island, generally long in width and low, that is built by wave or current action parallel to the coast.

baseline

 The condition of the natural resources and services that would have existed had the incident not occurred.

berm

 A wall or barrier of sand, ordinarily used to protect against flooding in coastal regions.

best practical environmental option (BPEO)

 Requirement that the environmental implications of all the options available be evaluated, and that the chosen option results in the least environmental damage and is consistent with the prevailing regulations.

bioaccumulation

 A process by which chemicals are taken up by aquatic organisms from water directly or through consumption of food containing the chemicals and passed up the food chain.

biological diversity (biodiversity)

 The variety and variability among living organisms from all sources, including land, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.

bioremediation

 The use of microorganisms to remove pollutants through their natural metabolic processes.

blowout

 Uncontrolled flow of oil or gas from a well that occurs when pressure from the well’s source exceeds the pressure applied to it by the column of drilling fluid.

blowout preventer

 A set of large control valves designed to stop the flow of oil, gas, and other well fluids if problems occur during drilling.

boom

 A temporary floating barrier used to control the spread of oil, as well as to concentrate oil in thicker surface layers, making recovery easier.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)

 The federal agency within the Department of the Interior that oversees oil drilling activity.

bycatch

 Unwanted marine creatures that are caught by fishermen fishing for another species.

C

CERCLA

 SeeSuperfund.

carcinogen

 A chemical capable of inducing cancer.

charter boat

 Any boat engaged in recreational fishing and hired for a fee by an individual or group of individuals.

Clean Water Act

 The law that established the programmatic and regulatory framework for restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.

commercial fishery

 A term related to the whole process of catching and marketing fish and shellfish for sale. It refers to and includes fisheries resources, fishermen, and related businesses.

compensatory restoration projects

 Projects to compensate for interim losses of natural resources and the services they provide from the time of injury until recovery is completed.

continental shelf

 A geological term that refers to the zone of the sea floor along the edge of a continent that extends from the shoreline to the continental slope where the deeper waters begin.

contingency plan

 A document that describes a set of procedures and guidelines for containing and cleaning up oil spills.

cooperative assessments

 Measurements of injury that are made cooperatively by trustees and the party responsible for an oil spill or hazardous substance release.

crude oil (petroleum)

 An unrefined fossil fuel formed from plant and animal remains from many millions of years ago. When refined, it is converted to various types of fuels, including gasoline and kerosene.

D

DARRP

 See Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program.

damage assessment

 Determination of the value of the actions necessary to compensate the public for injury to natural resources.

Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program (DARRP)

 A multi-office program within National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration involving the National Ocean Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Office of General Counsel. DARRP scientists, economists, and attorneys conduct natural resource damage assessments of and restoration projects for coastal and marine resources injured by oil and hazardous material releases.

dispersant

 Chemicals that are used to break down spilled oil into small droplets.

E

ecosystem

 A complex web of connections among all living things—including humans—and their physical environment that is defined by a geographic place.

ecosystem services

 The benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include provisioning services, such as food and water, and supporting services, such as flood protection and water filtration.

emergency response

 The actions taken when an oil spill has occurred.

EPA Drinking Water Health Advisory

 An estimate of acceptable levels of specific contaminants in drinking water.

essential fish habitat

 A term in the federal law governing fisheries management that refers to the physical environment necessary to support a sustainable fishery and the managed species’ contribution to a healthy ecosystem.

F

facility response plan

 A facility-specific response plan required by federal law and prepared by all owners/ operators of drilling rigs and oil storage facilities to guide response to a “worst case discharge” of oil into the surrounding environment.

fertilization

 The method of adding nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, to a contaminated environment to stimulate the growth of microorganisms capable of removing pollution from the environment through biodegradation.

fisheries management

 The result of federal laws and policies that aim to protect key marine species from overfishing using a system of techniques, including annual catch limits, catch shares and bycatch reduction requirements.

G

gelling agent

 Chemicals that react with oil to form rubber–like solids. The gelled oil is removed from the water using nets, suction equipment, or skimmers.

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force (GCERTF)

 Public body of federal and state officials charged by presidential executive order with developing a national strategy for addressing legacy problems with the health of the Gulf in addition to problems caused by the latest disaster.

H

HEA

 See Habitat Equivalency Analysis.

habitat

 The physical environment where an animal or plant normally lives.

Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA)

 A method developed by NOAA for estimating how much restoration is needed to replace the loss of natural resources from the time they are injured until they are returned to the condition they would have been in had the injury not occurred.

hazardous substance

 Substances identified as capable of posing imminent and substantial danger to public health and welfare or the environment. The term does not include petroleum or natural gas.

hydrocarbons

 A large class of organic compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen; common in petroleum products and other oils.

I

illegal discharge

 Discharge of a pollutant, such as oil, in violation of national and/or international law.

injury

 Damage that can be measured or observed (including destruction, loss, and loss of use) in a natural resource or impairment of a natural resource service.

injury assessment and restoration planning

 The second phase of a natural resource damage assessment. Trustees identify the injuries to natural resources and their services to the public. They use that information to determine the need for and amount of restoration.

invasive species

 An introduced species that outcompetes native species for space and resources.

J

junk shot

 A temporary way to plug an oil leak, by injecting “solid rubbery and fibrous material” into the head of the broken well with the intention of clogging the pipe and stanching the flow. It was one of the failed attempts to plug the leak in May 2010.

juvenile

 A young fish or animal that has not reached sexual maturity.

L

landing

 The number or poundage of fish unloaded by commercial fishermen or brought to shore by recreational fishermen for personal use.

liability cap

 The financial cap on the amount of damages an oil company is legally required to pay for an oil spill.

light sheen

 A light, almost transparent layer of oil.

M

marsh

 An emergent wetland seasonally flooded or usually wet and often dominated by one or a few plant species. Marshes can be either freshwater or saltwater.

microorganism

 A very small plant, or animal, or bacteria; some microorganisms, like larger organisms, can be hurt by oil spills; however, some microorganisms actually break oil down into less harmful substances.

monitor and maintenance phase

 This phase of oil spill response begins when experts determine that active manual and mechanical cleaning of an area will have no net environmental benefit.

moratorium

 A mandatory halt to fishing activities on a species, in a specific area for a specified period of time.

N

NCP

 See national contingency plan.

NFT

 See No Further Treatment.

NOAA

 See National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAEL

 See No Observed Adverse Effect Level.

NRDA

 See natural resource damage assessment.

national contingency plan (NCP)

 A plan designed to ensure that the federal government’s resources and expertise will be available in the event of a very serious oil spill.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

 A scientific agency within the U. S. Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and atmosphere. NOAA warns of dangerous weather, charts seas and skies, guides the use and protection of ocean and coastal resources, and conducts research to improve understanding and stewardship of the environment.

natural resources

 Plants, animals, land, air, water, groundwater, surface water, drinking water supplies, and other natural resources belonging to, managed by, or otherwise controlled by the U.S. or a state or local government.

Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)

 Investigation performed by trustees to identify and plan the restoration of natural resources injured by oil spills and hazardous substance releases. The goal of NRDA is to restore natural resources.

natural resource restoration project

 Action that returns the natural resources to baseline condition.

natural resource services

 Ecological and human services– a.k.a. ecosystem services –provided by natural resources that may be injured after an oil spill or hazardous substance release. Ecological services include flood control, sediment stabilization, and habitat. Human services include fishing, beachgoing, and wildlife viewing.

natural resource trustees (trustees)

 Government officials who act on behalf of the public when there is injury to, destruction of, loss of, or threat to natural resources as a result of a release of a hazardous substance or a discharge of oil.

No Further Treatment (NFT)

 A level of oil spill response reached when officials determine that it would be better for the environment to leave pollution in place than to take further cleanup measures.

No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL)

 A research term used to describe the dose of chemical at which scientists consider the negative health effects to be negligible.

O

OPA

 See Oil Pollution Act.

OSC

 See On Scene Coordinator.

OSHTF

 See Oil Spill Health Task Force.

oil plumes

 Clouds of underwater globules of oil that do not float to the surface of the ocean.

Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA)

 Legislation designed to prevent oil spills, ensure cleanup if they happen, and restore natural resources injured by these spills.

oil spill response

 First stage of action taken when an oil spill occurs. Recovery and restoration stages follow.

On Scene Coordinator (OSC)

 The person responsible for overseeing the cleanup efforts at a spill; the OSC represents either the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Coast Guard.

overfished

 A determination made when a marine species is fished so much that the remaining adults in the population cannot reproduce quickly enough to replenish the population.

P

PAHs

 See polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

PCBs

 See polychlorinated biphenyls.

parts per million (ppm)

 A measurement of concentration; can also be expressed in units of weight, for example, as milligrams/kilogram (mg/kg) or micrograms/gram (μg/g).

petroleum

 See crude oil.

phytoplankton

 Small, usually microscopic plants drifting in the upper layers of the ocean, consuming nutrients and light energy. They form an important bottom layer of the food chain for marine species.

plankton

 Tiny floating organisms in the ocean, including phytoplankton and zooplankton, that are part of the bottom layers of the food chain for marine species.

polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

 A family of chemical substances that are found in many types of oil; polyaromatic hydrocarbon vapors can cause harm to humans and animals that inhale them.

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

 A class of chemicals previously used in manufacturing that remain in the environment for many decades, accumulate in living creatures, and pose health hazards to humans, wildlife, and fish.

preliminary assessment

 The first step in a natural resource damage assessment, in which trustees determine whether injuries to resources belonging to the public have occurred or are likely to occur.

primary restoration projects

 Projects to restore natural resources to the condition that would have existed if the incident had not occurred.

R

rapid assessment program (RAP)

 A capability developed and supported by the Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) to collect perishable data and readily available information to determine the need for a natural resource damage assessment.

recoverable oil

 Oil in a thick enough layer on the water to be recovered by conventional techniques and equipment. Only black or brown oil, mousse, and heavy sheens are generally considered thick enough to be effectively recovered by skimmers.

recreational fishery

 Harvesting fish for personal use, sport, and challenge (e.g. as opposed to profit or research). Recreational fishing does not include sale, barter, or trade of all or part of the catch.

relief well

 A secondary well drilled to intersect the leaking main well, allowing engineers to intercept the oil flow from the reservoir below and pump in cement and heavy fluids to stop a leak. Considered the most surefire method to permanently stop a leak, but takes months to complete.

responsible parties

 The parties (e.g., individuals, companies, or government agencies) responsible for an oil spill or hazardous substance release.

restoration

 The goal of a natural resource damage assessment (NRDA), which involves rehabilitating, replacing, or acquiring the equivalent of injured natural resources and the services they provided prior to the damage being inflicted.

restoration plan

 Identifies and evaluates a reasonable range of restoration alternatives, solicits public comment, and provides the rationale for the selection of the restoration project(s) that will be implemented.

riser pipe

 The pipe that connects an underwater wellhead to the drilling rig floating on the surface of the ocean above. In the case of the Deepwater Horizon, the riser was approximately a mile long.

S

SCAT

 See Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique.

SMART

 See Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies.

SSC

 See scientific support coordinator.

STR

 See Shoreline Treatment Recommendation.

scientific support coordinator (SSC)

 NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator, one of the OSC’s Special Forces designated in the National Contingency Plan.

sediment

 Loose particles of sand, clay, silt, and other substances that settle at the bottom of a water body. They come from eroding soil and from decomposing plants and animals.

sensitive areas

 A number of factors influence whether an area is considered sensitive: the use of area by people; the presence of habitats important to marine life for spawning, feeding, or migration; and the presence of rare or endangered species.

sensitivity maps

 Maps that identify biological and human resources at risk from an oil spill. They can also outline spill response countermeasures and priorities for protective measures.

settlement

 An agreement between government officials and responsible parties that specifies the terms under which the obligation to repair damage and compensate losses is resolved.

Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT)

 Systematic approaches that uses standard terminology to collect data on shoreline oiling conditions and supports decision–making for shoreline clean–up.

Shoreline Treatment Recommendation (STR)

 The written plan given to the operations division to perform the correct cleanup of a certain shoreline type, taking into account the SCAT data and sensitivities (environmental and cultural).

spawning

 A means of species reproduction in which eggs are released directly into the water.

Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies (SMART)

 Establishes a monitoring system for rapid collection and reporting of realtime, scientifically based information, in order to assist the Unified Command with decision–making during burning or dispersant operations.

static kill

 A method of closing an oil well, in which the blowout preventer has been tripped and has closed off oil flow. Drilling fluid (synthetic mud) is pumped through the blowout preventer down the borehole to push down the oil and contain it in its reservoir. Concrete follows the mud to plug the hole.

Superfund (CERCLA)

 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization (SARA) in 1986, often referred to as Superfund. The federal statute establishes the legal basis for federal action when the environment is polluted.

T

TPH

 See total petroleum hydrocarbons.

TWG

 See technical working group.

tanker

 A ship constructed or adapted primarily to carry oil in bulk.

tar

 A black or brown hydrocarbon material that ranges in consistency from a heavy liquid to a solid.

tar balls

 Dense, black, sticky spheres of hydrocarbons formed from weathered oil.

technical working group (TWG)

 Groups that have been established by the NRDA trustees to study injuries to various resources.

tertiary recovery

 Recovery of oil or gas from a reservoir over and above that which can be obtained by primary and secondary recovery; generally involves sophisticated techniques such as heating the reservoir to change the consistency of the oil.

top hat

 A two–ton containment device that was proposed as a solution to stop the flow of oil at Deepwater Horizon. It was introduced as an option after a larger containment device failed, but was set aside in favor of the riser insertion tube.

top kill

 Another temporary method of sealing an oil well. Essentially, it involves pumping dense mud into the blowout preventer under such high pressure that it forces the leaking oil back into the ground. The maneuver was attempted at Deepwater Horizon in late May 2010, but failed.

total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)

 A term used to describe a broad family of several hundred chemical compounds that originally come from crude oil. TPH is really a mixture of chemicals. They are called hydrocarbons because almost all of them are made entirely from hydrogen and carbon. Crude oil can vary in how much of each chemical it contains.

toxicity

 A measure of the potential or capacity of a material to cause harm to the health of living things.

trustees

 See natural resource trustees.

U-V

Unified Command

 Structure that brings together the Incident Commanders of all major organizations – federal, state, and local – involved in the incident in order to coordinate an effective response while at the same time carrying out their own jurisdictional responsibilities.

volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

 A mixture of propane, butane, and several other gases given off through the evaporation of crude oil and refined oil products. VOCs can cause nerve damage and behavioral abnormalities in mammals when inhaled.

W-Z

water column

 An imaginary cylinder of water from the surface to the bottom of a water body; water conditions, temperature, and density vary throughout the water column.

weathering

 A combination of physical and environmental processes such as evaporation, dissolution, dispersion, photo– oxidation, and emulsification that act on oil and change its physical properties and composition.

well bore

 A hole drilled for the purpose of extracting oil. In other words, the actual hole in the sea floor.

wetlands

 Transitional areas between uplands and water that are subject to periodic flooding or prolonged saturation and contain specific plant communities and soil types. Wetlands can be classified as either tidal (within the reach of the tides) or non– tidal. Both serve important ecological functions.

zooplankton

 Tiny organisms that drift in the ocean and form an important part of the food web. They consume phytoplankton and are consumed by fish.

via OceanConservancy

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