Glossary B...

Bachelor's degree: First (undergraduate) degree from a tertiary institution.

Bacteria: Single-celled organisms that have a very simple cell structure and no distinct nucleus. Some bacteria cause diseases, like pneumonia and tuberculosis, but others are necessary to all life on Earth because they break down dead organic material.

Bag limit: A restriction in the number of fish that an angler may retain over a certain time (e.g. a daily bag limit).

Bailer: A bucket or other container used to remove water from a boat.

Baleen: a tough, horny material growing in comb like fringes from the upper jaws of some species of whales.

Ballast: Weight used to give a boat proper stability and trim.

Bamboo sharks: sharks of the genus Chiloscyllium, which live in shallow waters around coral reefs and have bamboo-like markings when young.

Banggai cardinalfish: a tiny coral reef fish with large eyes and patterned skin, found mainly near the island of Banggai (near Indonesia).

Barbel: a long, slender organ extending from the chins of some fishes, sometimes used as a lure to attract prey.

Barnacle: an invertebrate animal that lives in a hard shell attached to a rock, boat bottom or other hard surface. Barnacle shells are cone-shaped, like tiny volcanoes. Barnacles are crustaceans, related to crabs, shrimp and lobsters.

Barotrauma: Injuries caused to humans by water pressure. Occurs to divers and snorkellers.

Base size: The size of a base sheet of glass when making an aquarium.

Bathyl: the deep-sea region between 600 and 6,000 feet (183 to 1,830 meters).

Bat ray: a species of ray which has long fins that look like bat wings.

Beach erosion: Natural process where sand moves off a beach during storms.

Beach hoppers: tiny, shrimplike animals that live among piles of kelp washed up on beaches; they hop like fleas to get away and are sometimes called "sand fleas."

Beacon: A navigation aid such as a light or lighthouse. Can be an EPIRB (emergency positioning indicating radio beacon).

Beam reach: Sailing with the wind.

Beaufort scale: Scale of wind force.

Bell: the round, non-stinging part of umbrella-shaped jellies, known as medusas.

Bends: "the bends" is a painful condition caused when nitrogen gas forms bubbles in a diver's blood. Scuba divers risk getting "the bends" if they come up too fast from a deep dive.

Benthic: on or near the bottom of a lake, river or ocean.

Benthic echinoderm: a sea star, sea urchin or other echinoderm that lives on or near the seafloor.

Benthic jelly: a jelly that lives on or very near the seafloor.

Benthic mollusc: one of a group of soft-bodied animals that live on or near the seafloor. deep sea snails and clams are benthic molluscs.

Beta carotene: a natural yellow pigment, present in many vegetables and extracted from green algae.

Bilateral symmetry: Has left and right sides that are approximately mirror images.

Bio-balls: Plastic balls used to grow aerobic bacteria, worms and other micro-organisms to act as a biological filter in aquariums.

Bioluminescence: Bacteria and phytoplankton that produce light by a chemical reaction. The production of visible white light by organisms.

biomass: The total amount of living matter per unit of surface or volume, expressed as a weight.

Black-necked stilt: a shorebird with a dark back and long red legs.

Blade: The broad, flattened leaf-like part of a seaweed thallus.

Blooms: Jelly blooms are the result of reproduction events where, in its asexual stage, jellies bud multiple polyps, and these polyps divide. It's thought that blooms of jellies occur when waters are overfished or when a species is accidentally introduced into an environment and begins to take over.

Blubber: Thick layer of fat under the skin of marine animals that keeps them warm in winter.

Bluefin tuna: a group of tuna species with iridescent blue skin. Bluefin are some of the ocean's biggest, fastest predators. They live in cold water and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms).

Blue-spotted boxfish: a small tropical fish with a square, boxlike body. The "box" is stiff body armor made of stuck-together scales.

Bommies: Rocky reefs found under the water.

Bonito: a sleek, fast-swimming fish in the tuna family.

Boom: A spar that secures and extends the foot of a sail.

Booms: Arms used to trap oil after an oil spill.

Bow: The forward part or front of a boat.

Brackish: Water of less than normal ocean salinity, usually ranging between 0.5­17 per cent.

Bray: A loud call of black footed penguins and others in the genus Spheniscus. Penguins bray when mating or defending territory.

Breaking strain: Fishing term used to indicate when a fishing line will break under a load. Measured by loading a line against a set of weights until it breaks.

Breathing: When air can be seen or heard to come out of the mouth or nose. Associated with rise and fall of chest. Needs to be established for CPR and EAR

Brittle star: A sea star that has a small central body surrounded by many long, brittle arms.

Budding: The process by which young jellies, called polyps, produce identical polyps.

Buoyancy: The ability or tendency of a marine organism to float.

Buoyancy vest: A lifejacket used for sheltered waters.

Buoys: Marine instruments used to measure ocean currents air temperature, water temperature, wind speed or salinity. A floating, anchored marker used as a navigational aid or to mark a danger spot.

Burrower: An animal that digs a hole to live in.

Butterflyfish: A member of a large family of colorful coral reef fishes with flattened bodies and small mouths.

Bycatch: Fishes or other animals caught by accident in fishing gear; species that the fishers don't want to catch. Bycatch is usually thrown back dead or dying. Bycatch is also called "bykill" or "wasted catch."

Bycatch Reduction Devise: Equipment attached to commercial fishing equipment to reduce the amount of bycatch taken.