carbon: A chemical element that is the physical basis of all life on Earth. Carbon exists freely as graphite and diamond. It is an important part of coal, limestone and petroleum, and is capable of self-bonding, chemically, to form an enormous number of chemically, biologically and commercially important molecules. (in climate studies) The term carbon sometimes will be used almost interchangeably with carbon dioxide to connote the potential impacts that some action, product, policy or process may have on long-term atmospheric warming.
ecosystem: A group of interacting living organisms — including microorganisms, plants and animals — and their physical environment within a particular climate. Examples include tropical reefs, rainforests, alpine meadows and polar tundra. The term can also be applied to elements that make up some artificial environment, such as a company, classroom or the internet.
endangered: An adjective used to describe species at risk of going extinct.
erosion: (v. erode) The process that removes rock and soil from one spot on Earth’s surface, depositing it elsewhere. Erosion can be exceptionally fast or exceedingly slow. Causes of erosion include wind, water (including rainfall and floods), the scouring action of glaciers and the repeated cycles of freezing and thawing that occur in many areas of the world.
factor: Something that plays a role in a particular condition or event; a contributor.
footage: (in movies and videos) A term for the uncut or unprocessed motion pictures or video imagery taken by a camera. It takes its name from the fact that it took several feet of film to capture a few seconds of motion-picture photography.
kelp: A type of large seaweed that is usually a type of brown algae. They grow underwater and form large forests, providing habitat for many organisms. Some kelp forests are so large they can be seen from space.
marine: Having to do with the ocean world or environment.
middle school: A designation for grades six through eight in the U.S. educational system. It comes immediately prior to high school. Some school systems break their age groups slightly different, including sixth grade as part of elementary school and then referring to grades seven and eight as “junior” high school.
motor: A device that converts electricity into mechanical motion.
remotely operated vehicle: (or ROV) An electrically powered craft that is tethered to something above the water, usually a ship. People operate this craft from a remote location. Because these vehicles don’t need a pilot onboard, then can go places that are inhospitable for people, such as the very deep ocean.
runoff: The rainwater that runs off of land into rivers, lakes and the seas. As that water travels through soils, it picks up bits of dirt and chemicals that it will later deposit as pollutants in streams, lakes and seas.
satellite: A moon orbiting a planet or a vehicle or other manufactured object that orbits some celestial body in space.
Society for Science: A nonprofit organization created in 1921 and based in Washington, D.C. Since its founding, the Society has been promoting not only public engagement in scientific research but also the public understanding of science. It created and continues to run two renowned high-school science competitions: the Regeneron Science Talent Search (begun in 1942) and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (created in 1950). A third, middle-school competition, launched in 2010, has since 2023 been known as the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge. The Society also publishes award-winning journalism: in Science News (launched in 1922) and Science News Explores (created in 2003).
species: A group of similar organisms capable of producing offspring that can survive and reproduce.
steer: To guide the movement of something (a vehicle, a person or an idea) in some particular direction.
urchin: Small, spine-covered sea animals without eyes or limbs which are related to sand dollars and starfish.
wave: A disturbance or variation that travels through space and matter in a regular, oscillating fashion.