Adaptation – Any characteristic that increases the probability that an organism will survive and reproduce.

Census – A count of a population of an organism

Demersal - Living near, deposited on, or sinking to the bottom of the sea.

Denticles – Toothlike structures on the skin on sharks, skates and rays.

Distribution – The places where animals occur within their geographic range.

Eared Seal – A pinniped that has external ear flaps such as a sea lion and fur seal.

Haulout sites – An area on land usually offshore rock or sand bars that seals use to rest and thermoregulate.

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 – Federal law that provides protection for all marine mammals from harassment, disturbance, human caused injury and death.

Migration – The movement of a group of organisms from one place to another.

Molting – The shedding of skin, exoskeleton or fur by an animal.

Organism – A living thing such as an animal, plant, fungus or bacteria.

Otoliths – Gravity sensing ear bones in fish. Each fish species has its own unique shape.

Pelage – The fur or hair covering a mammal.

Pinnipeds – A group of mammals that include sea lions, fur seals, true seals and walrus.

Population – All the individuals of a species living in a specific habitat or range.

Predator – An organism that hunts and eats other organisms.

Prey – An animal that is captured and eaten by a predator.

Taxonomy – A system of classification of organisms based on their relatedness to others

Thermoregulation – The process of maintaining a constant internal body temperature despite changes in the outside environmental temperature.

True Seal – Pinnipeds that don’t have external ear flaps such as harbor seals.

Pelage – The fur or hair covering a mammal.

Pelagic – Relating to, living or occurring in the open sea.

Scat – Animal feces