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Recruitment: The addition of new individuals to a population.
Remotely operated vehicle (ROV): An unmanned submersible connected to the research vessel by a cable, often used to carry imaging systems and sample collectors.
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Salinity: The concentration of dissolved salts in water, usually measured in parts per thousand.
Scleractinians: Corals which have a hard limestone skeleton and belong to the order Scleractinia.
Seamount: Undersea mountains that are often caused by volcanic activity.
Sediment: Particles of organic or inorganic matter that accumulate in loose form on the seabed.
Soft coral: Referring to the Class Octocorallia.
Solitary corals: Corals composed of a single individual polyp.
Storm wave base: The plane or maximum depth at which surface driven waves may impact the sea bottom during severe storms.
Stylasterids: Referring to the Family Stylasteridae of the Class Hydrozoa.
Symbiosis: The close association between two organisms where there is substantial mutual benefit.
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Temperate: Pertaining to the latitudinal belt between 23° 27’ and 66° 33’ north or south latitude.
Thermocline: A depth at which the temperature of the water changes significantly.
Trophic level: The level at which an organism exchanges energy: bacteria and plants constitute the lowest level, followed by herbivores and a series of carnivores at the higher levels.