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gaff (n) – A spar that holds the upper side of a four-sided gaff sail

gaff-rigged (adj) – Describing any sailboat with a four-sided mainsail, defined by two booms, one located on the bottom, perpendicular to the mast, and another, located on top, at an angle from the mast

gale (n) – A nautical term defining weather conditions in which wind speed ranges between 34 to 40 knots

galley (n) – The kitchen of a ship

gangway (n) – 1 : The opening in a vessel's bulwarks or railings, allowing passage on and off the vessel 2 : the ramp leading through this opening

gap (n) – An open space in the rainforest canopy which lets light come down and hit the ground

gasket (v) – To tie a sail to a yard

gastronomic (adj) – Relating to gastronomy: the art and science of good eating

gastropod (n) – Any of a large class of mollusks, often having one-piece, straight or spiral shells and a broad, muscular foot with which to move; e.g., conch, snails, etc.

gauge (n) – A device for measuring something

gazebo (n) – A freestanding, roofed, usually open-sided structure which provides a shady resting place

gecko (n) – Any of a family of soft-skinned, insect-eating tropical or sub-tropical lizards with a short, stout body, large head and suction pads on the feet

gene pool (n) – The total of all the genes of a species or species population

genera (n) – Plural form of genus

generator (n) – A machine used to provide electricity on a boat; generally fueled with diesel fuel

genny (n) – Slang for generator

genoa (n) – A headsail used in breezes of 0-15 knots (larger than the No. 1 Yankee)

genus (n) – The sixth largest categorical level of biological taxonomy, ranking below kingdom, phylum, class, and order, and above species

geographical (adj) – According to geography

Geographic Information System (GIS) (n) – A system of remotely-sensed, or satellite, map images

geography (n) – The physical, surface features of an area or region

geological (adj) – Relating to geology

geologically (adv) – According to geology

geologist (n) – A scientist who deals with the physical nature, composition and historic development of the earth

geology (n) – The structure and composition of the earth’s crust in a certain region

geometric (adj) – Relating to geometry, or the mathematics of points, lines, planes and figures, along with their properties, measurements and relationships; characterized by straight lines, triangles, circles or similar regular forms

geometry (adj) – The mathematics of points, lines, planes and figures, along with their properties, measurements and relationships; characterized by straight lines, triangles, circles or similar regular forms

geomorphic (adj) – Relating to the shape or topography of the earth

Georges Bank (n) – A highly productive fishing ground larger than Massachusetts in size and located 120 km off of the New England coast

geothermal (adj) – Refers to heat energy originating from within the Earth

germinate (v) – To cause to sprout or develop

giant white-tailed rat (n) – Uromys caudimaculatus is one of the largest rodents that also lives in New Guinea and the Aru Islands. You can distinguish the rat by its scratching noise created while trying to penetrate (with the aid of its incisors) the hard-shell outer layer of rainforest nuts that are impenetrable to other animals

gill (n) – The organ for breathing of most aquatic creatures, including fish, lobsters and clams

gill net (n) – A type of weighted, vertical fishing net made of fishing line; fish swim into this nearly invisible net and are caught by their gills

GIS (n) – See definition of Geographic Information System

glacial (adj) – 1 : Extremely cold   2 : Relating to glaciers

glaciation (n) – A period of time characterized by the expansion of continental glaciers

glacier (n) – A large mass of ice and snow that forms when the rate of snowfall constantly exceeds the rate at which snow melts; most often associated with the Ice Age, in which large parts of the earth were covered with glaciers

gland (n) – An organ or layer of cells that produces and secretes some substance

Global Positioning System (GPS) (n) – A satellite-based system that permits the user of a GPS receiver on the earth (sometimes also called a GPS) to determine his or her location accurately

goods (n) – Wares or merchandise

Goombay (n) – Bahamian dance music with syncopated rhythms, played by a band using drums, maracas, sticks and improvised instruments

gorge (n) – A narrow ravine

gorgonian (n) – A variety of colonizing coral, including sea fans and sea whips

gorgonian garden (n) – An underwater area containing coral-like organisms known as "sea fans" and "sea whips"

gradient (n) – The change in the value of something (e.g., temperature, pressure, concentration), especially over a given distance

graduated scale (n) – A progressive series of degrees marked along a line and used for measuring

Grand Banks (n) – A large, 500-mile-long shoal in the North Atlantic, southeast of Newfoundland and noted as a prime fishing ground

granitic (adj) – Having characteristics of granite

granivore (n) – An animal that eats seeds

gravitational (adj) – Having to do with or caused by gravity

gravity (n) – A force that tends to draw everything towards the center (e.g., of the Earth, moon or sun)

Great Bahama Bank (n) – A large, shallow, underwater shoal or plateau, from which rises most of the islands of the Bahamas

Great Barrier Reef (n) – A chain of coral reefs in the Coral Sea, off the northeastern coast of Australia. The largest deposit of coral in the world, the reef extends for about 2000 kilometers (about 1250 miles)

Great Circle (n) – The shortest distance between two points on the surface or a globe; a Great Circle cuts through the center of the Earth

Greater Antilles (n) – A group of islands in the West Indies, made up of the North and West Antilles, and including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico

“green flash” (n) – A greenish flash seen in the sky just at sunset and caused by sunlight refracting (bending) through the atmosphere at the horizon; only seen when the sky is very clear and the horizon is sharp and distinct

greenhouse (n) – A building with a roof and sides made of glass, used for growing plants that need warmth and protection

greenhouse effect (n) – A warming effect caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gasses" in the atmosphere

greenhouse gasses (n) – Carbon dioxide and other gasses that build up in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing a warming of the air called the "greenhouse effect"

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) (n) – Mean solar time of the meridian (line of longitude) at Greenwich, England; used as the basis for standard time throughout most of the world

Grenadines (n) – A chain of small islands in the West Indies; the northern group is part of the nation of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, while the southern group is part of Grenada

grid (n) – A network of evenly spaced horizontal and vertical lines, especially one used for locating points when placed over a map or chart

grind (v) – To crank a winch in order to tighten a line

gringo (n) – In Latin America, a foreigner, especially one who is American or English

grits (n) – Coarsely ground corn or other grain cooked and eaten as porridge, a side dish, or in a casserole; a popular food in the southeastern United States

grommet (n) – An eyelet, metal or plastic, that protects an opening in cloth, leather, etc.; a ring of rope or metal used for fastening down a point on a sail

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (n) – The market value for all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given time period

Gross National Product (GNP) (n) – The total value of a nation’s yearly output of goods and services

groundfish (n) – A benthic, or bottom-dwelling, marine fish, often of commercial importance (e.g., halibut, cod, haddock, pollack, or flounder)

"ground-truthing" (n) – The act of confirming the content of satellite map subsections by inspecting the areas in person; used to improve satellite map-reading techniques

grouper (n) – A large sea bass found in warm seas

grub (n) – The worm-like larvae of an insect

grueling (adj) – Physically or mentally demanding to the point of exhaustion

guacamole (n) – A thick sauce or paste of seasoned, mashed or pureed avacados, served as a dip, in salads, etc.

guacharo (n) – A nocturnal, fruit-eating bird which lives in the caves of South America; also known as the "oil bird" because the melted fat of young birds is used for cooking and lighting

guano (n) – Droppings or manure of sea birds and bats, often sold as fertilizer

Gulf Stream (n) – A large, warm ocean current which starts in the Gulf of Mexico, flowing north along the eastern coast of the United States until it reaches the Grand Banks, where it turns east toward Europe; the largest and most well-known of the western boundary currents, the Gulf Stream flows at five miles per hour

gully (n) – A deep ditch or channel cut by running water; a small, narrow ravine

Guy Fawkes (n) – (1570–1606) English conspirator executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to kill James I and blow up Parliament on November 5, 1606, to avenge the persecution of Roman Catholics in England

gybe (v) – To turn the back (stern) of a boat through the wind (alt. spelling: jibe)

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