Scientific Glossary

Glossary of terms and abbreviations relevant to the International Seabed Authority and the documents it produces

Please note that this is a constantly evolving document.

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Title
Nautile	French Deep-Sea Research Vehicle. Rated to a depth of 6000m.
NaVaBa	Natural Variability of Baseline (COMRA project)
Nekton	The active swimmers of the pelagic environment (fish, mammals, squid, etc.).
Nematoda	A phylum in the animal kingdom. A dominant group within the meiofauna. Scientific name for nematode. Commonly called roundworms.
Nematode	Synonymous with Nematoda.
NERC	Natural Environment Research Council (United Kingdom).
Neritic	Pertaining to the water column overlying the Continental Shelf. Compare to Oceanic.
Niche	An organism's role in its environment.
NIO	National Institute of Oceanography (India).
Niskin Bottle	Quantitative sampling device for taking water samples below the surface. Comprised of a cylindrical container with spring loaded stoppers at both ends. Often used in conjunction with CTD sensors.
NOAA	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (United States).
Nutricline	A layer of water in which there is a rapid change in nutrients with depth. Compare to halocline, pycnocline and thermocline.