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Bag limit
Restriction on the number of a particular marine organism that a fisher may catch and keep, usually over a 24 hour period.
Ballast
Material taken onto a vessel or ship, usually seawater, to allow it to retain the proper level in the water.
Bar
A barrier of sand or gravel, on a shore or streambed, that is formed by the action of tides or currents.
Barbel
A fleshy filament hanging from the mouth of certain fishes, used for sensing food in mud or sand at the bottom of a river or ocean.
Barrier coral reef
Coral reefs that are separated from the mainland by a body of water.
Baseline data
Information collected to comprise a reference set for comparison of a second set of data collected at a later time; used to interpret changes over time usually after some condition has been changed.
Barbel
Slender, whiskerlike sensory organs extending from the jaw or lip of certain fishes, such as catfishes and carp.
Barotrauma
Expansion of gases in a fish’s body due to a sudden decrease in pressure, similar to ‘the bends’ in humans.
Base
A substance that yields a relatively high concentration of hydroxide ions when dissolved in water and has a pH greater than 7.
Baseline
The baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the low-water line along the coast as marked on large scale charts officially recognised by Australia, except where the coastline is indented or a fringe of islands is in its immediate vicinity, in which case the method of straight baselines joining appropriate points is employed (refer to the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 1973 for Australia’s baseline).
Bathymetry
The measurement of the ocean depths to determine the sea floor topography.
Bay
An area of ocean surrounded by land on three sides, e.g., Geographe Bay.
Beche de mer
Smoked or dried sea cucumber.
Behavioural
A specific response of a certain organism to a specific stimulus or group of stimuli.
Benguela Current
A cold ocean current flowing northward along the southwestern coast of Africa.
Benthic
Found in or near the ocean floor.
Berley
Surface level bait consisting of fish oils and pollard aimed at attracting fish to the fisher.
Berried
When a female crustacean carries eggs attached to the underside of her body.
Best practice
A technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has been proven to reliably lead to a superior result.
Bight
An area of ocean similar to a bay, but with a very wide opening to the ocean, e.g., Great Australian Bight.
Bilateral symmetry
The arrangement of body parts in such a way that there are only two identical halves, with different anterior and posterior ends and dorsal and ventral surfaces.
Binomial nomenclature
Scientific naming of species (usually of Latin origin) in two parts, whereby the first indicates the genus and the second indicates the species, e.g., the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias.
Biodegradable
Capable of being decomposed by biological processes.
Biodiversity
Number and variety of life forms, including different species, the genes they contain and the ecosystems they form.
Biofiltration
The use of nitrifying bacteria to break down toxic organic fish waste to non-toxic forms.
Biology
Science of physical life dealing with animals and plants.
Bioluminescence
The emission of light by an organism.
Bioregion
A geographic area characterised by a combination of physical and biological characteristics, for example, terrain, climate and ecological communities.
Biomass
The estimated total mass of a living organism in a particular area (spawning biomass is the total mass of all mature animals).
Biotic
Living; produced by life or living organisms.
Bivalve mollusc
A class of mollusc (sea snail) that has a shell with two hinged halves, such as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops.
Bladder (macroalgae)
An inflatable structure that holds gases and helps blades of macroalgae keep afloat.
Blade
Part of a nonvascular plant that is flattened and leaf-like.
Bony fish
Fish with a skeleton made of bone
Brackish
Partly fresh, partly saltwater where salinity is not as high as in the ocean.
Brain
The part of the central nervous system enclosed within the skull of vertabrates.
BRD
See Bycatch Reduction Device
Breeding stock
Mature animals in a population that are able to breed (reproduce).
Broodstock
Adult animals used for breeding purposes.
BRS
Bureau of Rural Science
Budding
A type of asexual reproduction by which a separate, new individual is produced from a small outgrowth, or bud.
Buffering capacity
The relative ability of a buffer solution to resist pH change upon addition of an acid or a base.
Bungarra lizard
Large Australian monitor lizard also known as Gould’s monitor or sand monitor.
Buoyancy
An upward force on an object immersed in a fluid.
Buy-back of fishing units
The purchase of fishing boats and licences back from the commercial fishers who ‘own’ them, either by governemnt or other parties such as recreational fishers, in order to reduce or reallocate fishing effort.
Bycatch / by-product / incidental catch
The accidental capture of unwanted or non-targeted species.
Bycatch reduction devices
Any device or modification to a trawl net designed to reduce the amount of bycatch.
Byssal threads
Strong fibres secreted by mussels for attachment.