The Health of the Ocean
Adjective
made smaller or less
As Walruses abandon diminished ice floes for the shore of northwest Alaska, conservationists wonder how the animal will adapt. What will happen to them as the sea ice continues to melt away?
Noun
something that serves to guide, compare, or reference
The new Ocean Health Index is meant to give countries a quantitative measure of how well they harness and maintain the benefits of their coastal territories.
Adjective
relating to or living in the sea
A major report found that the world’s “forage fish,’’ the diminutive species that are breakfast, lunch, and dinner for so many larger marine creatures, face unsustainable worldwide pressure from commercial fishing.
Adjective
relating to or measured by the amount or number of something rather than its quality
The new Ocean Health Index is meant to give countries a quantitative measure of how well they harness and maintain the benefits of their coastal territories.
Noun
sinking until covered completely with water
Two small islands in South Asia's first biosphere reserve have sunk into the sea. Their submergence is primarily due to depleting coral reef mining.
Verb
affect by exposure to the elements
In the early 19th century the beaches of Fort Bragg served as a local dump. Pounding waves have since weathered the discarded glass into a 38 acre stretch of smooth, colored trinkets.