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abaft (adv) – Behind

abalone (n) – A large, edible sea mollusk with an ear-shaped shell

abandon ship drill (n) – An exercise in which the individuals on a ship practice methods of safely evacuating the ship should the need to ever arise at sea

abeam (adv) – To the side of and perpendicular to the keel on a ship

abiotic (adj) – Non-living

abolish (v) – To do away with completely; put an end to

abolition (n) – The act of doing away with or the state of being done away with; abolishment of slavery

aboriginal (adj) – Existing from the beginning or from earliest days; first; indigenous

aborigine (n) – A member of the original race of inhabitants of a region

acronym (n) – A word formed from the first letters or groups of letters of words in a name or phrase

Adrian Block (n) – A 17th century Dutch navigator who explored the coast of Connecticut and Long Island Sound; namesake of Rhode Island’s Block Island

abstract (adj) – Based on thoughts or ideas versus material objects

abundance (n) – The supply or quantity of a particular thing

abundant (adj) – Plentiful; abounding with

abyssal zone (n) – The deep ocean zone that begins at over 3000 meters in depth and extends down to the ocean floor

acacia (n) – Forest that grows in where mature rainforest is cleared for pasture and then abandoned

acclimate (v) – To accustom or become accustomed to a new environment or situation; to adapt

acclimatization (n) – The process by which an organism becomes better adapted to exist in an environment different from the one to which it was indigenous

activist (n) – A person who participates in a political or social process towards a particular end

adaptation (n) – A characteristic, like a body part or behavior that helps a plant or animal survive its environment

adaptive radiation (n) – Diversification of a species or single ancestral type into several forms that are each adaptively specialized to a specific environmental niche

adept (adj) – Very skilled; proficient

adjacent (adj) – Close to; next to; adjoining

adrenaline (n) – A hormone secreted by the adrenal gland that stimulates the heart, and increases the blood sugar, muscular strength, endurance, etc.

adverse (adj) – Harmful or unfavorable

advocate (n) – A person who speaks or writes in support of something

affluent (adj) – Rich

aesthetic (adj) – Of or relating to beauty

aft (adv) – At, near, or toward the stern of a vessel or aircraft

Afrikaans (adj) – Of or relating to Afrikaners, South African settlers of European descent whose native language is Afrikaans (a language developed from 17^th century Dutch)

aggregate (v) – To come together as a group

agile (adj) – Quick and easy of movement; nimble

agroecological (adj) – Having to do with the ecology of farming

agroecosystem (n) – The ecosystem within an agricultural system or farm

agroforestry (n) – The practice of planting trees among crops

aground (adv) – When the ship’s keel is touching the bottom

Agulhas Current (n) – The warm western boundary current of the South Indian Ocean. It flows south and west around the Cape of Good Hope, and it is the second swiftest current in the world (the Gulf Stream is the first). This current can create sea conditions that make the passage around the Cape of Good Hope very dangerous.

airboat (n) – A light, flat-bottomed boat driven by a propeller revolving in the air and used in particular to travel through shallow waters

airlift (n) – The evacuation of an injured person via helicopter

albatross (n) – Any of a family of large, web-footed birds, with long narrow wings and a long, hooked beak that are found chiefly in the South Seas and spends most of its time away from land

algae (n) – A simple aquatic organism that most often makes its food through photosynthesis

algal (adj) – Relating to algae

algal bloom (n) – An abnormally large growth of algae, caused by excessive nutrients in and/or increased temperature of a body of water

algebra (n) – A system of mathematics using symbols to generalize certain arithmetical operations and relationships (e.g., x + y = 2y)

aligned (adv) – Arranged in a straight line

allergen (n) – A substance that causes an allergic reaction

aloft (adv) – High above the deck of a ship in the rigging or on a mast

alongside (adv) – By the side of; beside

"all hands" call (n) – A call that is made when all crew members are required on deck, especially during an emergency

"all hands high" (n) – Same as "all hands" call

"All hands on deck!" (n) – Same as "all hands" call

allelopathic (adj) – Related to the destruction of plants by toxic chemicals produced by other plants

allelopathy (n) – The destruction of plants by toxic chemicals produced by other nearby plants

Allied (adj) – Of or referring to the Allies, a group of nations (including Great Britain, the United States, Canada and the Soviet Union, among others) which joined together against the Axis countries (including Germany, Italy and Japan) during World War II

allocate (v) – To distribute in shares according to a plan

all-terrain vehicle (ATV) (n) – A small, four-wheeled, motorized vehicle used to travel both on and off roads

alluvial (adj) – Deposited by the action of waves or currents

alternator (n) – An electric generator that produces alternating current

altitude (n) – Height, especially height above the Earth’s surface or height above sea level

alumni (n) – Graduates or former students of a school, college or university

ambergris (n) – A grayish, waxy substance found in a sperm whale’s intestine; sometimes used in the manufacture of perfume

ambience (n) – A particular atmosphere or environment

ameliorate (v) – To make or become better; improve

amend (v) – To remove the faults or errors in; correct

amendment (n) – A revision or addition made to a bill, law or constitution

amenity (n) – Something that contributes to physical or material comfort

American Revolution (n) – A war lasting from 1775 to 1783 and fought by the American colonies to gain independence from Great Britain

amiable (adj) – Friendly; agreeable

amidships (adv) – Toward the middle of a ship in regard to length or width

Amistad (n) – A 19^th century slave ship famous for the slave revolt that occurred upon it in 1839; the African slaves aboard the ship eventually gained their freedom in American courts and returned to Africa

amp (n) – See ampere

ampere (n) – A unit of electric current

amphibian (n) – A class of cold-blooded, scaleless vertebrates consisting of frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, etc.; they usually begin life in the water as tadpoles with gills and later develop lungs

amphipod (n) – A small, shrimp-like crustacean with a vertically thin body and two sets of legs: one set for jumping and walking and the other for swimming (e.g., sand hopper)

amplitude (n) – The extreme range of a fluctuating quantity; for example, in ocean waves, amplitude equals the distance between the wave’s midpoint and crest (or midpoint and trough)

anadromous (adj) – An animal that breeds in fresh water and migrates to salt water to feed heavily before migrating back to fresh water to breed again the next year

anaerobic (adj) – Without air or free oxygen; able to live and grow in a place where there is no air or free oxygen

anchor (n) – A heavy object that, when lowered into the water or cast over the side of a boat or ship, holds a vessel in place with its weight or by gripping into the bottom with its flukes

anchor chain (n) – The rope or chain that connects an anchor to a ship

anchorage (n) – A place to anchor

anemometer (n) – Instrument for measuring and indicating the speed of the wind

anemone (n) – A flower-like, immobile sea polyp with a firm, gelatinous body, no skeleton and petal-like, often brightly colored tentacles

anesthetic (n) – An agent that causes loss of sensation

angel shark (n) – This shark  lives on the sandy bottom of the ocean. Its flat body is gray with olive blotches and it has large pectoral fins that look like wings, thus the name "angel"

angling (n) – The act or skill of fishing with hook and line

animal adaptation (n) – A change in the habit and/or behavior of an animal species that enables it to better survive within its environment

animosity (n) – Strong dislike or hatred

annual crops (n) – Crops that live for only one year; they must be planted every year from seed

Anolis (n) – A genus of New World arboreal lizards that can change color

Antarctica (n) – The land area about the South Pole; it is the Earth's fifth largest continent

antennae (n) – The pair of jointed sense organs on the heads of most arthropods, including insects, crabs and lobsters

anthropogenic (adj) – Caused by humans

anticoagulant (n) – A substance that delays, prevents, or hinders  the clotting of blood

anti-leukotriene (n) – An anti-inflammatory asthma medication

antidote (n) – A remedy to counteract a poison

antithesis (n) – The direct or exact opposite

antivenin (n) – An antidote to venom

antsy (adj) – Nervous, fidgety

apartheid (n) – A former official government policy in South Africa that enforced strict segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-white people

apathy (n) – Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference

apex (n) – The tip or point

apparent (adj) – Perceived but not necessarily real or true

appraise (v) – To decide the value, quality or worth of something

aquaculture (n) – The regulation and cultivation of water plants and animals for human use or consumption

aquanaut (n) – An underwater explorer

aquatic (adj) – Growing or living in or on water

aqueduct (n)– A large pipe or conduit made for bringing water from a distant source

aquifer (n) – An underground layer of porous rock or sand which contains water

Arawak (n) – A member of a South American native people living chiefly in northeast South America and formerly in the West Indies; also called Lucayans

arbiter (n) – A person selected to judge and/or decide a dispute

arboreal (adj) – Adapted to living in trees

arboretum (n) – A place where an extensive variety of woody plants is cultivated for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes

archaeological (adj) – Relating to the scientific study of the life and culture of past peoples

archipelago (n) – A group or chain of islands

arctic (adj) – Very cold; of or near the North Pole

arepas (n) – A Central and South American dish of cornmeal bread, sometimes stuffed with meat, cheese, chicken spices, etc.

arid (adj) – Dry and barren

armadillo (n) – A burrowing, nocturnal mammal with a armor-like covering of bony plates

armistice (n) – A temporary suspension of fighting between countries; a truce

armory (n) – A storehouse for arms; an arsenal

arrest (v) – Naval term: to stop an aircraft when landing on an aircraft carrier through the use of cables located on the carrier and the tail hook of the aircraft. Arresting slows an aircraft from 150 miles an hour to 0 miles an hour in one second.

arrowroot (n) – A tropical plant with large leaves, white flowers, and edible, starchy roots

arroyo (n) – The Spanish word for a dried creek bed

arthropod (n) – An animal characterized by a segmented body and jointed legs, including crustaceans, arachnids, and insects

artifact (n) – Any object made by human work, especially a primitive tool, weapon or vessel

artisimo (n) – The Spanish word for an artist

asexual (adj) – Having no sex; able to reproduce without the union of male and female

aspect (n) – The direction in which a land’s slope faces (e.g, N, S, E, W)

aspiring (adj) – Having great ambition to be; desiring strongly

assassinate (v) – To kill (especially, a politically important person) by surprise attack

assess (v) – To evaluate

assimilate (v) – Absorb into the prevailing culture

astern (adv) – Behind the stern of a ship

asynchronous (adj) – Not at the same time

atarraya (n) – The Spanish word for a cast net thrown out over water to catch a variety of seafoods

Atherton Tablelands (n) – A plateau and isolated highland area that lies at the northern end of the Bellenden Ker Range (a mountain range that stretches into northern Queensland)

athwart (adv) – Across the length of a ship, port to starboard

Atlantic Wall (n) – A line of German bunkers, mines, artillery, barbwire and other military installments built along the coast of Normandy, France, during World War II

atmosphere (n) – The gaseous air surrounding the earth to the height of about 1000 km (621 miles)

atoll (n) – A ring-shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon

atone (v) – To make up for an injury, loss, etc., that one has caused

auger (n) – A large tool used for boring into wood, earth, or ice

auspices (n) – Protection or support

Aussie (n) – Australian term for a person from Australia

autopilot (n) – An instrument designed to steer a boat and automatically maintain a predetermined course

autotroph (n) – An organism that makes its own food, most often through the process of photosynthesis

autotrophic (adj) – Able to create its own food, most often via the process of photosynthesis

avian (adj) – Having to do with birds

avarice (n) – Greed

avariciously (adv) – Acting in a greedy manner

avidly (adv) – Ardently; eagerly

axis (n) – A real or imaginary straight line around which an object may rotate

Ayres Rock (n) – The world’s largest single rock (or monolith), located in northern Australia and of great cultural significance to Australia’s Aborigines

Azore Islands (n) – A group of islands located west of Portugal in the Northern Atlantic Ocean; the Azores are a self-ruling region of Portugal

Azores (n) – See definition above for Azore Islands

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