Lake Waramaug Task Force

Glossary of Terms

Aerobic Living, active or occurring only in the presence of oxygen.

Alewife A small food fish of the herring family.

Algae (Anabaena sp.) Chiefly aquatic, nonvascular plants.

Anaerobic Living, active or occurring in the absence of free oxygen.

Anoxic Oxygen-deprived

Benthic Barrier A growth-inhibiting, usually synthetic material; laid across infested areas of a lake bottom and secured with pins or weights; to control or eradicate invasive plants.

Cladocera Minute, chiefly freshwater crustaceans

Diatoms A class of minute, planktonic algae with silicified skeletons that form diatomite.

Epilimnion The surface water of a lake, which is warm, well-mixed and high in oxygen.

Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) A particularly aggressive invasive aquatic plant with finely pinnate submersed leaves.

Eutrophication The process through which a body of water becomes rich in dissolved nutrients but often shallow and seasonally deficient in oxygen. In essence, the dying of a lake.

Herbivorous Feeding on plants.

Hypolimnion The deepest layer of lake water, cold and devoid of oxygen.

Invasive Plants Non-native plants which tend to spread aggressively.

Limnology The scientific study of physical, chemical, meteorological and biological conditions in fresh waters.

Mesotrophic Having a moderate amount of dissolved nutrients, ie. in the middle stages of eutrophication.

Nannoplankton The smallest planktonic organisms.

Oligotrophic Deficient in plant nutrients and having an abundance of dissolved oxygen with no marked stratification.

pH A measurement on a scale of 1 to 14 of alkalinity (greater than 7) and acidity (less than 7), with 7 representing neutrality.

Phosphorus A nonmetallic multivalent element of the nitrogen family which promotes plant growth in water. This is often found in detergents.

Phytoplankton Planktonic plant life.

Plankton The passively floating or weakly swimming (usually minute) plant or animal life of a body of water.

Rip-Rap A foundation or sustaining wall of stones (as in deep water or or on an embankment) to prevent erosion.

Secchi Disk A yellow and black disk lowered into a body of water to measure water clarity.

Stratification The process in which a body of water separates into distinct layers.

Thermocline The region in a body of water which separates warmer, oxygen-rich surface water from cold, oxygen-poor deep water.

TP Total Phosphorous

Turnover The natural occurrence in most lakes, usually in spring and fall, in which the top water layers, previously separated (or stratified) by temperature, mix due to air temperature changes and wind and wave action.

Water Milfoil See Eurasian Watermilfoil

Water Chestnut An invasive aquatic herb of the evening-primrose family.

Water Clover A non-indigenous, amphibious plant resembling a four leaf clover with a long plant stalk.

Watershed An area bounded peripherally by a water parting and draining into a particular body of water.

Zooplankton Planktonic animal life.

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Aerobic	Living, active or occurring only in the presence of oxygen.
Alewife	A small food fish of the herring family.
Algae (Anabaena sp.)	Chiefly aquatic, nonvascular plants.
Anaerobic	Living, active or occurring in the absence of free oxygen.
Anoxic	Oxygen-deprived
Benthic Barrier	A growth-inhibiting, usually synthetic material; laid across infested areas of a lake bottom and secured with pins or weights; to control or eradicate invasive plants.
Cladocera	Minute, chiefly freshwater crustaceans
Diatoms	A class of minute, planktonic algae with silicified skeletons that form diatomite.
Epilimnion	The surface water of a lake, which is warm, well-mixed and high in oxygen.
Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)	A particularly aggressive invasive aquatic plant with finely pinnate submersed leaves.
Eutrophication	The process through which a body of water becomes rich in dissolved nutrients but often shallow and seasonally deficient in oxygen. In essence, the dying of a lake.
Herbivorous	Feeding on plants.
Hypolimnion	The deepest layer of lake water, cold and devoid of oxygen.
Invasive Plants	Non-native plants which tend to spread aggressively.
Limnology	The scientific study of physical, chemical, meteorological and biological conditions in fresh waters.
Mesotrophic	Having a moderate amount of dissolved nutrients, ie. in the middle stages of eutrophication.
Nannoplankton	The smallest planktonic organisms.
Oligotrophic	Deficient in plant nutrients and having an abundance of dissolved oxygen with no marked stratification.
pH	A measurement on a scale of 1 to 14 of alkalinity (greater than 7) and acidity (less than 7), with 7 representing neutrality.
Phosphorus	A nonmetallic multivalent element of the nitrogen family which promotes plant growth in water. This is often found in detergents.
Phytoplankton	Planktonic plant life.
Plankton	The passively floating or weakly swimming (usually minute) plant or animal life of a body of water.
Rip-Rap	A foundation or sustaining wall of stones (as in deep water or or on an embankment) to prevent erosion.
Secchi Disk	A yellow and black disk lowered into a body of water to measure water clarity.
Stratification	The process in which a body of water separates into distinct layers.
Thermocline	The region in a body of water which separates warmer, oxygen-rich surface water from cold, oxygen-poor deep water.
TP	Total Phosphorous
Turnover	The natural occurrence in most lakes, usually in spring and fall, in which the top water layers, previously separated (or stratified) by temperature, mix due to air temperature changes and wind and wave action.
Water Milfoil	See Eurasian Watermilfoil
Water Chestnut	An invasive aquatic herb of the evening-primrose family.
Water Clover	A non-indigenous, amphibious plant resembling a four leaf clover with a long plant stalk.
Watershed	An area bounded peripherally by a water parting and draining into a particular body of water.
Zooplankton	Planktonic animal life.