Abundant = plentiful, existing in large quantities.It is a relative measure. 'Snapper are abundant' could mean thousands of them in a vast area, whereas 'Seahorses are abundant' could mean a few dozen in a small area. We often think of abundance in terms of one species. Even though abundant, the species depends on a host of other organisms for its living. 'Snapper is no longer abundant' almost certainly means that a lot of other species have disappeared as well.

Appropriate = suitable or proper. It is a weak way of saying 'the right way' or 'the only solution', in order to leave room for less suitable or improper solutions.

Aquaculture = the cultivation or rearing of aquatic plants or animals. Freshwater aquaculture is very much unlike marine aquaculture. Organisms are reared in ponds (Carp, Tilapia, Trout, Shrimp, Prawn). Marine aquaculture almost always happens in the open sea (Salmon, Oyster, Mussel, Scallops). These organisms prefer clean water. The farmer prefers sheltered water. Clear sheltered water is disappearing rapidly because of poor sewage and soil management, made worse by an accelerating growth in population. Farming salmon is detrimental to the environment and inefficient: a predator is raised on organic matter obtained from grazing animals (pig pellets);  what rains down needs to be broken down by the environment. Oysters can grow in murky waters, right in the shallows of an estuary. Mussels need clean water with a good plankton supply in the current. Both feed on phytoplankton, thus recycling the nutrients from our sewage effluent and farm run-off. Mussels and Oysters are not only nutricious but also rich in minerals and trace elements.

Basic assumptions = elementary acceptance without proof. Common wisdom can be quite wrong. Many of our assumptions about how the sea works, are based on what we know about the land world around us. But the sea is so different that we may as well throw all previous knowledge overboard. Re-examining our basic assumptions is often necessary to get things right.

Bedrock = solid rock underlying alluvial deposits (from erosion). Often this solid rock consists of Greywacke, which is solidified molten earth. It is a hard rock that cooled slowly. Greywacke coasts have steep drop-offs that wear slowly by waves and wind. Cracks in Greywacke often run vertically, resulting in caves and deep fissures which offer shelter to marine animals. Another bedrock is Granite, which is much harder again, often worn smooth by the waves and offering little opportunity for shelter.

Black coral = a fan coral that forms a flexible fan of tough black substance and studded with very fine, almost invisible, white coral polyps. Dead Black Coral looks black whereas live Black Coral looks white. Black Corals grow very slowly. They can't compete with plants and they would be suffocated by fluffy algae growing all over them. Therefore they occur only in dark places such as deeper than plants can grow. They also favour plankton-carrying currents.

Bombing the local reef for practice = The Airforce has a number of practice sites far away from land, yet nearby enough for effective sorties from base. One such site is the Volckner Rocks, near White Island. Fighter planes strafe these rocks with bullets and rockets. Underwater an arsenal of spent ammunition can be found, which attracts divers. After the war both Navy and Army disposed war machines in what was then thought to be deep water. But new technology allows divers to go ever deeper. There are many locations around New Zealand's coast where decaying ammunition can be found and rusting equipment, both detrimental to the environment.

Breeding ground = A place where marine organisms gather to breed. Breeding grounds differ for each species: a Crayfish may just seek deeper water; Snapper congregate in special places; Scallops can breed only 'on the spot' if densities are high enough. It is wrong to assume that a marine reserve will become a breeding ground for ALL species.

Breeding stocks = All organisms of a species that are capable of breeding. The word 'stock' is commonly used for only one species; 'stocks' for multiple species. Organisms can breed only if they have become adults, if they are healthy and well-fed, if they can pair up, if conditions are right and if there are enough of them. The bigger specimens do it better because they have much bigger gonads and they have years of previous experience. Our methods of fishing disturb the breeding activity more than we like to acknowledge: We catch 'the big ones' when they are 'abundant' and we make many 'widows' and 'widowers' that find it difficult to find new partners, just like humans do.

Bryozoans = very small coral-like polyps that build fagile coral-like structures. Some are flat, overlaying seaweed fronds ('sea mat') whereas others are flexible, waving in the currents. The most beautiful ones form flowerlike ribbons ('lace coral').

Bulk fishing = fishing appreciable quantities, a synonym for commercial fishing. Only abundant species can be fished in bulk. Where one attempts to bulk-fish reef fish with gill nets for instance, one soon finds that this activity is unsustainable because the reef fish population declines rapidly. Trawlers catch a large variety of species in bulk even though many of these would not sustain bulk fishing.

Cautious = careful, prudent, attentive to safety. This word is often used in marine conservation meaning 'to err on the safe side'. Cautious management allows for unknown detrimental factors such as sudden natural mortality, seasonal and other fluctuations, errors in estimating the stock, errors in estimating the catches and so on. Rather than opting for a minimal sustainable stocking level, cautious management favours optimal or maximum stocking levels.
Charting = mapping the coast and sea. In the video it is used in a slightly cynical way because charting is the very first measurement one does with a new place. Charting consists of measuring the sea and coast for the purpose of safe navigation. It does not take account of the existing marine habitats. Where the chart shows 'rock' or 'sand' or 'broken shell', this is to assist in anchoring safely or to help in trawling for fish. Charts are extensively used for fishing and exploration of the sea, including marine research. So charting is a very important first step.

Coastal policy = a course of action for our coast. A coastal management plan. The Resource Management Act which does not apply to fisheries (!!!) does apply to local bodies, the Department of Conservation and the New Zealand public. It aims to conserve our resources for sustainability. The act requires DoC to produce a coastal policy.

Coastal waters = a vague term denoting the seas adjacent to the land mass. Our territorial sea extends 11 Km out (the reach of a cannon at the time) but the Extended Economic Zone extends 200 sea miles or about 370 Km. The sea under direct influence of sewage and run-off from the land is only 0.1-3 Km wide. This is the coastal water worst affected by humans. In this water we find all our coastal habitats and coastal fisheries and marine farming. Most of our marine bio-diversity is found here.

Cockle flats = the wind-swept sandy flats inside an estuary between mid and low tide levels. Cockles are bivalves with thick shells, about 2-3cm across, that live in clean estuaries. Higher up the shore one finds small ones whereas towards low tide level, the big ones are found. Cockle banks contain millions of specimens. They grow rapidly and provide a reliable source of food. Cockles can filter the water so efficiently that the outgoing tide is often much cleaner than the incoming tide.

Collecting = gathering. The word has been used here in a cynical way because collecting specimens is the very first step done when studying the biology of a new area. In earlier days collectors were fanatical because each newly discovered species gave them more standing amongst their colleagues and it gave them the right to name the species. The name of the collector was then added to the scientific name. Today the science of collecting, classifying and naming (taxonomy) has lost its charm, mainly because very few spectacular new species are found and because genetic tests may one day completely revise the present classifications.

Commercial fishermen = those who fish for a living. The word is used to separate this class of fishermen from those who do it for fun, the recreational fisherman. But the notion goes deeper. In the old days when the catch could not be conserved, the fisherman caught only what he and his neighbours could eat that same day. He was not driven to fish more than that. However, now that fish can be frozen and conserved and processed, fishermen are driven by a sense of greed for direct profit. Thus catches are no longer limited in a natural way. This has resulted in the depletion of many fish stocks. But a commercial fisherman (who fishes for profit) will stop fishing when costs exceed profits, whereas a recreational fisherman won't.

Community = all the creatures living in a specific locality. This notion is now used to denote the creatures living in a specific type of locality or habitat. Such type localities or habitats can be found in many places and more often than not, the same creatures are found there in about the same ratios. So the word community is often used synonymous to 'habitat'.

Complex = a composite consisting of related parts, but also meaning complicated. A building complex is a compound consisting various rooms. This word is not commonly used in marine biology where the synonym 'system' is more in vogue.

Comprising = including, consisting of.

Conservationist = supporter or advocate of environmental conservation. As we become more and more aware of  how important a healthy environment is for our wellbeing, environmental conservation becomes increasingly more fashionable. The reason that industrialists and businessmen are often found opposing environmental conservation is that they fear an 'unfair' increase in operational costs. Conservationists often blame industry for the damage it causes, conveniently forgetting that the goods produced are necessary for and wanted by our society, conservationists included.

Container port = a port for container vessels. Container transport is very efficient. Loading and unloading a ship can be done in a matter of hours. Container ports need deep water and a lot of open-air storage with good access for trucks and trains.

Coral = a hard limestone structure (fan, ball, brain, whip, antler, table, -shaped) built by many flowerlike organisms that have very thin skins but are often beautifully coloured. Corals live in the clearest of oceans where the water is no less than 23 degrees Celsius. Coral polyps can catch animal plankton but there's very little of it. Fortunately corals have algal cells in their skins that produce organic matter from sunlight, CO2, water and nutrients. These algal cells (Zooxanthella) produce food for the corals. Thus corals abound in the bright light close to the surface but cannot grow in the darker depths, unlike common filterfeeders such as sponges.

Crab = a spiderlike eight-footed crustacean with jointed legs and two pincers but with its tail bent underneath its carapace. It forms a very compact and robust shape.Crabs usually grow fast and mature early. Crabs are not caught commercially in NZ. apart from incidental catches of the estuarine Paddle Crab.

Crayfish = a lobsterlike crustacean. The word is commonly used for freshwater lobsters but here in New Zealand it has stuck to the Spiny Lobster or Langouste as it is known by Frenchmen. The Crayfish has no pincers. It grows to over 40 years old and matures slowly. Crayfish has always been an important commercial coastal species.

Currents = The steady movement of  seawater.Currents come in a number of qualities. The fastest, most destructive ones are caused by waves. These water currents go to and fro on the shore but move in a circular fashion before the wave breaks. Their force diminishes rapidly with depth. The twice daily tides cause currents four times a day, which also move to and fro but in certain places only in one direction. The heat from the equator and the cold from the polar regions drive slow currents that rotate in gigantic gyres on both Northern and Southern hemispheres.  These global currents influence our climate. They also cause the net transport of water, solid particles and nutrients. They rinse our coasts. When such currents stagnate, as is the case in 'El Nino' years, the basic composition of our coastal waters changes and this can have a disastrous effect on many marine creatures.

Cynical = sneering, mocking. The author may have used this word instead of 'frustrated' or 'disappointed' with the lack of progress,considering that marine reserves are so obviously necessary.

Deep water fauna = the animals living in deep water. The term 'deep' is often used for as little as 20m depth, or more precisely, where brown and green algae can no longer live through lack of light. Here the rocks are covered with animals that filter the water for food (filter feeders). Some catch plant plankton (sponges, seasquirts, bivalves) whereas others catch animal plankton (anemones, soft corals, bryozoa). Another important group feeds on detritus (dead organisms) that rains down from above (seastars, seacucumbers, worms). The predators and scavengers complete the list (seastars, several fish species).

Department of Conservation = It is DoC's task to preserve the natural environment. It is an immense task for which not enough resources are available (lack of money). Most resources go in maintaining the conservation 'estate', our parks, reserves, tracks, huts and so on. Much attention is paid to 'firefighting', trying to save almost-extinct species such as the Black Robin. But it is everyone's task to relieve the pressure that humans exert on the natural environment. We cannot live without shampoos and two showers a day and consuming an unnecessary amount of food. Recycling is considered 'uneconomical' and the amount of waste produced by every human being increases rapidly as the economy grows. If we all co-operated, DoC's task would be much easier.

Directly accessible = within reach without needing to walk far. The beach in question runs along the road and is thus directly accessible. Places that are directly accessible need to be protected because they attract more people than elsewhere and are thus more prone to damage. Compare this to city parks. It has been a black page for DoC that they have given away such an important place to a handful of looney objectors. This beach is almost centrally located in the reserve. Fishing there will draw fishes from far afield, thus effectively draining the reserve. Because it is so easily accessible, this is where interests collide: the snorkeldiver who comes to view an unspoilt underwater environment and the fisherman who is going to spoil it. Furthermore, the most interesting areas for snorkelling are now outside the reserve! If DoC doesn't have the guts to stand firm on such an important issue, then who else can? A dark day indeed for all of NZ!

Disposal = the act of getting rid of. This word is used to 'place in order' things we don't want, such as sewage, refuse, poisons. Ironically, all things we want to dispose of, are or have been at one stage, expensive resources. During production processes and the act of living, these expensive resources have somehow become too diluted or too scattered or they occur in the wrong form to be 'economically useful' or 'recyclable'.

Distance offshore = away from the mainland. As one moves further away from the mainland, the seawater quality improves quite considerably. Also fishing pressure reduces because only few people can afford to go there. Besides, the sea becomes more dangerous the further one goes offshore.

Diversity = variety, number of species. It is an important measure of the health of a community. As more and more pressure is exerted on a community, an increasing number of species disappears. The community becomes less diverse. The place of the losers is taken by those who remain, and who then may become more numerous. So abundance as opposed to diversity is not necessarily a measure of good health.

Economic activity = activity for profit or for a living. Economic activity relating to the sea has very many aspects: freight, transport, ferrying, charter boating, boat repair, fishing, marine farming, living, building, sightseeing, ecotourism, diving and so on.

Ecosystem = a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. The biological community consists not only of producers (grazers), predators and scavengers but also of cleaners and decomposers such as bacteria and fungi. Every ecosystem has closed loops (chains or webs) for nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, etc), matter or energy (Carbon, Oxygen) and trace elements (Sulphur, Iron, Cobalt etc.). If an ecosystem is not self-sustaining, it is called an 'open' ecosystem, which derives some of the necessary components from elsewhere.

Emergent = becoming apparent. Here the word has been used for the bits of the land above water. Usually it refers to the marine environment that becomes apparent during low tides. Often the underwater world can be predicted by looking at the emergent bits. It reveals clues about the substrate (rock), the wave exposure, currents, water clarity, water temperature and more.

Encouragement  = promotion, stimulation, assistance. Fishing doesn't need encouragement because we are (too) good at it and we need to do less of it. We have now arrived at a different stage of the ball game. What we can get out of the sea now depends on how much we can put in. We now need to put effort in increasing the fish stocks and in restoring the severely disturbed balance between species.

Energy flows = the flow of potential energy in a food chain or food web. Body tissue can be converted into energy. Hence it is equal to potential energy. In order to grow, plants need solar energy which is used to bind carbon, oxygen and water molecules into carbo-hydrates. Grazers eat the plants and use their potential energy to grow and to live. Predators eat the grazers and use their potential energy to grow and to live. All this can be expressed in terms of energy equivalents, hence the term 'energy flow'.

Estuary = an almost enclosed part of the sea with an opening to the sea through which the tide enters and at the other end one or more rivers. Estuaries are the places where the runoff from the land, carried by the rivers, mixes intensively with the salt water from the sea. In summer the estuaries are warmer than the sea but in winter they are colder. Because of their high nutrient content, estuaries breed dense blooms of phyto plankton, which is the most important food source there. Each estuary has its own, unique character, depending on its topography, orientation, depth, exposure to wind, type of land-use, size of catchment area and more. Some estuaries are refreshed by the sea almost completely with each tide cycle whereas others may take months to do so. We don't know precisely how important estuaries are for the health of the sea but we do know that many fish species are hatched there.

Exploitive uses = taking from the sea. If we could classify the ways we use the sea in exploitive (taking), non-exploitive (leaving as it is) and restorative (putting back in), which one would deserve highest priority?

Exploited species = the fishes we catch (commercially). Species are exploited because there are many of them and they are easy to catch. Whalers preferred the big ones because they provided the most profit for the least effort. While targeting successively smaller species, the smallest whales, the Minke and Pilot whales, escaped the wholesale slaughter. Their numbers are now embarrassingly high and may prevent the big whales to recover. The Sperm Whale also survived reasonably well because it fought back and was rather risky to take.

Feeding grounds = the places where an animal feeds. Usually an animal lives on its feeding ground, thus saving energy while feeding. Some reef fishes may live and sleep on or about the reef, only to forage far afield. Little is known about feeding habits, let alone feeding grounds. But we do know that a host of species and conditions must be maintained to provide for food.

Fernbird = a NZ species of bird belonging to the Warbler family. It is fawn-coloured and lives secretively in swamp land.

Finger sponge = a number of sponge species which grow long or short fingers in brown, red, orange, yellow or purple colours.

Fisheries interest = a vague term denoting either those who are interested in fishing or the kind of interest arising from fishing. In the video the latter is meant. Thus in order to manage fisheries, one needs to be interested in where the fish are, how many there are and so on.

Fisheries policy = a course of action for fishing. A policy is a general plan whereas a management plan spells out the detail. So a fisheries policy would be to maintain stocks for sustainability, whereas the management plan which spells out quotas, could unknowingly be in direct conflict with it. In order to manage our fisheries, MAF has the following options: restrictions by area, seasonal restrictions, exclusion zones (marine reserves), net specifications, mesh sizes, minimum fish size or age.

Fishing pressure = the pressure on our fishing stocks caused by the demand (the market), greed, economy of scale, employment (we have to make a living).

Full marine reserve = a non-exploitive marine reserve, a no-take reserve. The Marine Reserves Act allows for a variety of marine reserves, even allowing for extraction of some kind. Many people believe that reserves are about sustainabiltity, thus allowing for managed extraction (USA, Australia). But history has shown that there's something wrong with the way we manage. So there's a definite place for a no-take reserve, which would not be influenced by our mistakes. However, this concept assumes that the reserve will automatically get better over time (no putting in). Many of our marine reserves are deteriorating and with some this deterioration is even accelerating! (Long Bay, Leigh) The biggest threats to our marine environment comes from runoff. If we want to save the reserves, we have to improve our land management, at least in the areas affecting the reserves. The term 'full marine reserve' should be set aside for those reserves that we have targeted to become pristine wilderness areas, akin to our concept of 'paradise'. For those reserves we have to do more than just nothing.

Fundamental processes = essential, natural series of steps. Science is involved in understanding the natural processes. Starting from the fundamental ones, it builds further upon these to understand less fundamental ones. However, in the sea, science has missed a few steps. The sea is very inaccessible and experiments cannot be controlled. Hence our understanding of even fundamental processes in the sea is incomplete. For instance we don't know how the main nutritional cycles work. We can't put a finger on the most important creatures of all, the sub-microscopic plankton. And all else depends on these! Of most creatures in the sea we don't know what they eat, what eats them or even how old they grow.

Game fishing = sportfishing for big fish. It is done for the fight and the adrenalin and the honour obtained. For sharks, a boat trawls a burley bait (mashed bait in a leaking bag) through the water. When a shark arrives, the real bait is thrown in. Depending on the species of shark, there'll be a small or a big fight. Marlin fights harder but is not attracted by burley. Several lures are trolled behind the boat. The Marlin can strike any of these.

General insurance = a general measure to provide for a contingency. The idea is that we don't know what could possibly happen to a fish stock, a community or habitat. If we had several places in the sea that were safe from human greed or error, then these places might survive against all odds. From the survivors, the stocks could rebuild themselves in the course of time. It is an idea that has not been tested. Dr Ballantine thinks that having ten percent of everything, could protect against a major disaster. The reality is, however, that also marine reserves are not free from natural disasters (or deterioration in water quality).

Genuine priority = a proper interest having prior claim to consideration. Consciously or unconsciously we give priority to actions. We often do things because we CAN or because we've always done so, but not because we thought carefully about them. The video suggest that had we considered all facts, we should genuinely give more consideration to non-exploitive uses as opposed to exploitive uses, because non-exploitive uses don't use up the resource.

Habitat = the natural home of an organism. It is the typical place (and community) where an organism lives. What makes one habitat different from another are usually physical factors such as temperature, salinity, clarity, wave action, currents, amount of light, quality of the light, substrate, topography and less important ones. Once a community establishes itself, it often changes its surroundings, just like humans do.

Hemisphere = half sphere. If one looks at the world from space, only a hemisphere is seen. But this hemisphere could be centred anywhere. When centred on the vast Pacific Ocean, the 'water' hemisphere shows far more sea than land. NZ happens to lie in that region. When centred above NZ, the hemisphere shows much water.

Heritage = anything that is inherited. The word is also used symbolically: young people 'inherit' the world as it was 'handed down' to them by the grown-ups. Kauri trees and Kiwi and the Waikato River are part of the heritage of all New Zelanders. But so is the underwater world with species that live only here in NZ waters: Spotty, Seahorse, Kahawai, Toheroa ... The list is long.

Holiday home owners = people who own a holiday home away from where they work and live. The beachside 'bach', a small shed with the slightest of comfort, was traditionally New Zealander's 'getaway'. Such a holiday home is built in an area that is rich in space and nature but devoid of people. However, as time passes by, more and more holiday homes are built, which changes the character of the place. Those who notice so most, are the 'locals', reason for some animosity between the two groups. Both can be loud objectors against a marine reserve in their area, even though the reserve is going to safeguard the things they value most (a pristine area to enjoy outside the daily rat-race).

Individual = a single member of a class. A specimen.

Inhabitants look after themselves = the notion that the sea is a bottomless resource, where somehow, without us needing to know, whatever we take and however much we take, gets replenished by an 'invisible hand'.

Interpret = to explain the meaning of. There's a difference between explaining and interpreting. The word is now also loosely used for what a tour guide does.

Isolate = to keep apart, to exclude. An isolated island like the Kermadec's Raoul Island, was a hard place to live. It was hard to get to in the first place, then to land on it, let alone to do any trade with.Thus it was spared somewhat.

Kai-moana = Maori word for seafood. Kai=food; Moana=sea. The Maori blame the Pakeha for the sad state of our fisheries. It is true that the white man with his technology has been dominant in our fisheries. But the true reason for overfishing comes from the sheer number of people (locally and overseas) demanding seafood and exports. The pressure of demand has pushed caution out of the way. Maoris also pride themselves that they have always practised conservation. But archaeological finds show clearly that this was not the case.

Larvae = the just hatched marine organisms. Unlike land animals, sea creatures are born from very small eggs and have to fend for themselves while often millions of times smaller than adult size. Although born in astronomical numbers, very few survive the first year. Those who do are called 'recruits'. The death of all these larvae is part of the ecosystem - they serve as food for other organisms. In the cause of its life, a Snapper larva may grow a million times its birth weight, changing diet often, according to its new size.

Learning curve = a hypothetical curve of knowledge (vertically) against time (horizontally). In the beginning, knowledge increases slowly but exponentially until it can't go any faster. Then it proceeds at a constant rate, until most is known and only the difficult bits need to be found. Then it flattens out. When training rats in a maze, indeed a similar curve is obtained from zero percent to hundred percent performance. Fast learners follow a steeper curve than slow learners.

Lobbying a politician = influencing a politician in an undemocratical way. The politician is met unofficially 'in the lobbies' of parliament, to sway him to support a cause benefitting the special interest group.

Local residents = the people making a living in the area, as opposed to 'holiday makers' or 'absentee owners', who come to the area for recreation.

Longliners = fishermen using longlines. A longline is a long fishing line (100-1000m) baited with many hooks. It is laid down above the bottom from one weighted buoy with a flag on top, to another. Several small weights and floats may be used to keep the longline near the bottom. Fish caught by longline are of high quality. They have not been crushed in a net. They arive on board in good condition and are rapidly killed by spiking the brain in the Japanese 'ike' way, then they are rapidly cooled in brine (ice and salt).

Maintaining diversity =  maintaining variety. Since each species lives in its own habitat, maintaining diversity also involves maintaining diversity of habitat.

Mangroves = an area with mangrove trees. The mangrove trees in New Zealand are flowering trees that have adapted to standing in the tide. This tree has overcome many problems relating to keeping salt out of its tissues while also being able to 'drink' salt water through its roots. The mangrove trees grow only in the Northern half of the North Island, being sensitive to cold. They grow in the upper reaches of an estuary where the mudflat habitat is found. Although the mudflats are assisted by mangrove trees, they don't depend on them. So mudflats are found in estuaries all over NZ.

Marina = specially designed harbour with moorings for pleasure craft. Many people have boats and these need moorings. In marinas they are moored such that they take up the least amount of space. Marinas are built in sheltered places, always near where people live. Marinas represent a non-destructive use of the water but they have to be built first. Fortunately the disturbed underwater communities recover quickly. Even so, marinas evoke heavy opposition from locals.

Marine biologist = a graduate trained in the biology of the sea. To become a marine biologist, one must follow a university course. During the course one gets trained in the basic biology of plants and animals. A certain amount of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biochemistry is also learned. In the last years the study focuses on marine subjects. A marine biologist is trained to follow a study through with field work, laboratory work, mathematical analysis and precise reporting.

Marine farms = the cropping or rearing of marine organisms. (Oysters, Mussels, Salmon and recently also Paua). Each species has its own preferred method of farming.

Marine Industries = industries involved with the sea, ranging from boat building to fisheries.

Marine laboratory = a building fitted out for experiments relating to the sea. A marine laboratory must have a circulating saltwater system. Salt water is pumped from the sea and circulated through experimental and holding tanks. A gravity-feeding salt water storage is kept in case of pump or power failure. A marine laboratory also has access to an area in the sea that is protected for the sake of conducting marine experiments in the sea. It also has one or more boats and an array of diving equipment.

Maritime = connected with the sea or seafaring.

Market = a demand for a commodity or service. A market-driven economy (as NZ has become in recent years) is driven by the demand for its products or services. The demand is in turn created and increased by 'marketing', and advertising. The overriding profit motive is insensitive to conservation.

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries =  (MAF) the department charged with the interests in agriculture and fisheries.

Natural population level =  the population level attained in a natural way. Central to this concept is the notion that there exists such a thing as 'a population level'. Indeed in complex communities ov many species, population levels remain somewhat constant. But in disturbed communities (such as exploited ones), population levels can oscillate quite profoundly.

Natural process = natural course, as opposed to human-made or human-induced series of changes.

Natural refuge = a natural shelter from pursuit or danger. The author claims that the sea has no more natural refuges. Where could one hide from exploitation? Isn't the sea accessible and fishable and exploited everywhere? Hence the need for marine reserves.

Non-destructive use = having one's cake by not eating it. Examples of non-destructive use are: education and eco-tourism. Is sustainable use destructive use?

Non-target species = species that were not targeted in the fisheries. By-catches. While fishing for Orange Roughy, with a quota for this 'target' species, also other species are found in the nets. Since non-target species are also caught in the process of fishing for others, we cannot get a clear idea of their natural population levels.

No-take  = non-extractive. To leave things alone and not even disturb them.

Observation = the act of noticing. Scientists need to be able to make observations that are not disturbed by the actions of others.

Offshore = synonymous to 'away from the mainland'. The further offshore a place is, the harder it is to get there to exploit it.

Outdoor education = education outside the classroom in outdoor pursuits.

Physical environment = material conditions affecting the life and growth of plants and animals. Temperature, salinity, dissolved nutrients, suspended particles, topography, substrate and so on.

Phyto-plankton = suspended microscopic plant organisms.

Playing favourites = to favour emotionally. The author used this loose term to remind us that we do like or dislike certain organisms or habitats. For retaining biological diversity, however, every organism is important in its own right. The organisms at the basis of the food web (the ones we can't even see, let alone relate to) are indeed the most important of all.

Policy = a course or principle of action (course, rule, plan, scheme).

Population = the inhabitants of a place, usually meaning the number of specimens of one species. It is often very difficult to estimate the population of a species: obscurity, migrations, occurring in few but dense patches and so on.

Previous general conditions = the conditions that existed previously (prior to exploitation). If a place is found to be relatively 'rich' (varied and abundant) today it may be because of: it being very rich to begin with or being exploited very little afterwards, or both.

Principle = fundamental truth or law as the basis for reasoning.

Process = a natural or involuntary series of changes. Growing old is a one way process. Most natural processes, however, have a cause and an effect. The effect is usually the cause of another process such that natural processes are intertwined in complicated ways.

Production =  the process of being manufactured. Mankind has often seen extraction from the sea as a form of production. But extraction from the sea is like harvesting without seeding. Nature does the growing and the nurturing whereas mankind does only the harvesting. It is more akin to hunting.

Profit = financial gain. Not so long ago before refrigeration and global marketing, people took from the sea as much as they needed. Once their hunger was stilled, the need for fishing subsided. It was a process with negative feedback, which led to stability. But fishing for profit has changed all that. Now it is a process with positive feedback: the more profit, the more need for more fishing. It leads to instability and overfishing.

Public democratic process = the writer means 'in a democratical way'. The public should have a say in how we are exploiting our natural resources. Unfortunately the pendulum has swung far towards free enterprise and exploitation for short term gain. Through the imperfections in our democracies, vested commercial interests often have it their way.

Public domain = belonging to the people as a whole; not subject to private interest or copyright. Check out what has happened to our forests, fisheries, energy generation, fresh water supply, waste water treatment, oil and gas reserves.

Public meeting = a meeting to inform the public about plans that may affect them, in order to obtain feedback. For the establishment of marine reserves it is important that people give their support. People oppose a marine reserve because it may restrict them in what they used to do. They are often misinformed and fearful.

Public-spirited = having a willingness to engage in community action. The author may have used this term in a sarcastic way. By sacrificing a tiny bit of Milford Sound, the fishermen have succeeded to stave off  the creation of a more substantial marine reserve that would have afected them.

Questionnaires = a formulated series of questions, especially for statistical study. The problem with questionnaires (and referendums) is that it is assumed that the reader has been informed objectively and that widespread discussion has preceded the questionnaire. Questionnaires by their very nature are not meant to inform.

Reclamation = to bring under cultivation what was under water. The shores of sheltered harbours are shallow and flat, ideal for expanding the city.

Reef fish = the fish living on or around rocky or coral reefs. In the narrow fringes around our coast live the highest number of marine species (most bio-diverse). These species are threatened by industrial pollution, sewage and land erosion, particularly near dense human populations.Although varied, reef fish are seldom numerous and reproduce slowly. They are thus very sensitive to overfishing.

Regional park = a park managed by a regional authority. Regional parks are usually found around big cities and they are important recreational assets for the city dweller. A regional park is a kind of reserve that is protected in some way or other. It stands to reason then to consider the marine environment adjacent to an existing regional park urgent candidate for conservation.

Remnant = a small remaining quantity. A joke asks how to end up with a small fortune? To start with a big fortune. Likewise, mankind has interfered so much with his environment that all our coastal environments are but remnants of the richness that once was.

Representative reserves = a reserve typical of a common environment. We are inclined to protect the exceptional, thereby doing injustice to the typical. Typical environments such as plain sandy or muddy seabottoms are equally worthy of protection.

Representing = being typical of.

Residence = an abode, a place where people live. Residential dwelling is accompanied by major changes to our environment: landscaping, roading, reticulation. It is cheaper to house people close together in a city-like environment. This also concentrates the problems.

Resource management act = an act of the NZ parliament that spells out policies towards sustainable use of all resources.

Rocks = a hard material of the earth's crust. Seaweeds and sitting (sessile) organisms need to attach themselves to a secure base material (substrate). Rocks can be depended on because they wear slowly. But there are several kinds of rock, each inviting different lifeforms and providing different topography: granite (very hard and smooth), greywacke (hard with vertical cracks and caves), sandstone (layered soft stone with deep undercuts and overhangs) and so on.

Run-off = an amount of rainfall that is carried off an area by streams and rivers. Runoff contains dissolved chemicals (nutrients, fertiliser, pollution) and suspended particles from soil erosion. Run-off is New Zealands biggest threat to its marine environment.

Scallop dredges = apparatus to scoop up Scallops. Scallops are clams that lie flat on their convex (round) side, burrowed slightly in the sea bottom. A Scallop dredge has combed teeth (tines) that scrape through the bottom to bring the Scallops to the surface and into the trailing catch bag. In doing so, it ploughs the seabottom, causing environmental changes similar to ploughing land.

Scheme of things = a systematic plan of nature.

Seabed = the ocean floor.

Seaweeds = any of various algae growing in the sea. Plants form the basis of all foodwebs. Seaweeds can be likened to the forests and pastures on the land. But there are major differences. Most marine plantlife is found in the phytoplankton drifting in the top layer of all oceans. On land no such equivalent exists. Seaweeds don't need roots to tap moisture and nutrients from the soil. They soak these up with their flat thin fronds.

Sediment = matter that settles to the botom.

Sediment-dominated = mainly sediment.

Semi-transparent layer = partly allowing light to pass through. Run-off in the Milford Sounds contains very little clay (sediment) particles but dissolved tannins (like tea water). The clear layer of 'tea' acts like a colour filter, changing the quality of the light and thus the most important requirement for plant life. Sessile organisms such as Black Coral which normally live much deeper, are found within diving depth inside these sounds.

Sensible = having or showing wisdom or common sense.

Sewage scheme = a systematic plan to treat sewage. Sewage contains half-fermented food that needs to be broken down further by bacteria. In the process much oxygen is needed. Hence the requirement of vast shallow ponds, usually reclaimed from an estuary.

Shallows = the marine environment located close to the surface. Here the influences of waves, wind, tides, sun and cooling are most pronounced. Yet in these exacting circumstances an amazingly rich community is found, which is easy to study.

Shell banks = shells heaped up by currents and winds.

Source = a place or thing from which something originates (like a spring).

Species list = a list of species encountered in an area. This is the most basic scientific observation: just checking off which plant and animal species are found. One level  further is also recording abundance: the number of encounters of each species. A further level still is describing communities. Most of our knowledge of the sea has not gone further than species lists.

Specimen = an individual taken as an example of a class.

Sponge = aquatic animal of the phylum Porifera, with pores in its body wall and a rigid skeleton. Sponges are very primitive animals, colonies of individuals, that evolved early in the history of the earth. They are attached to the substrate and filter the water for phyto plankton.

Starfish = an echinoderm of the class Asteroidea with five or more arms.

Stock refuge = a place where stock can shelter from pursuit or danger or trouble. How would this work in the sea?

Stock support = to keep stock from falling or failing.

Sub-antarctic = regions immediately North of the antarctic circle.

Sub-tidal = the area beneath low tide level.

Sustaining the stocks = maintaining the stocks.

Support (feeding grounds) = this is an unsubstantiated notion that certain fish go to certain places to feed like they do to spawn (spawning grounds). More research is needed.

System = a set of processes and things working together.

Tannins = a group of complex organic compounds found in certain tree barks, used in leather production and ink manufacture.

Tides = the periodic rise and fall of the sea due to the attraction of the moon and the sun.

Topography = a detailed description of natural features.

Trawlers = fishing boats that catch fish by trawling nets. Trawling is a very efficient method of fishing but it is indiscriminative and fish are crushed in the net, resulting in low and short-lasting quality. Traditionally, nets are trawled directly over the sea bottom to catch bottom (benthic) species but modern trawlers can catch fish in mid water by using clever electronic fishfinders.

Underwater surveys = a scientific method to qualify and quantify marine life. A marine scientist makes use of transect lines, quadrats and collecting devices. Much of this work could be done by trained amateurs.

Virtually = almost, to all intents and purposes.

Visual barrier = impossible to see through.

Volcanic activity = activity produced by a volcano. Volcanic activity produces fresh, uneroded rock, home to sea creatures. Volcanic activity may hinder fishing and thus effectively protect underwater life. Anchoring on the sheltered side of a volcano places oneself in the smoke, which could be life-threatening.

Waterfront = the part of a town facing the harbour or river.

Web of food chains = first there were food chains, then food webs and now webs of food chains. We are discovering that the natural world is not simple. The concept of a food chain is essentially that of 'recycling' by nature: nutrients feed the phytoplankton which feeds the zooplankton which feeds fish larvae which feed bigger and bigger fishes. All dead organisms are consumed by bacteria which produce the nutrients to feed the plants. The cycle is closed. There are many interrelating cycles.