Refraction (of water waves)

The process by which the direction of a wave moving in shallow water at an angle to the contours is changed: the part of the wave advancing in shallower water moves more slowly than that part still advancing in deeper water, causing the wave crest to bend toward alignment with the underwater contours.

The bending of wave crests by currents.

Glossary of Terms

Aquifer

Permeable geological formation through which groundwater can flow and from which groundwater can be readily extracted. (See also Groundwater).

Diffuse Sources of Pollution

(Also called non-point sources) Multiple, not easily identifiable sources of pollution (e.g., agriculture, urban areas).

Ridge and runnel

Beach topography consisting of sand bars that have welded to the shore during the recovery stage after a storm. At low tide, water ponds in the runnels and flows seaward through gaps in the ridge.

Secchi Disk

Visibility disk (white and black, 30cm diameter) used to measure the transparency of water.

Coral Bleaching

A phenomenon in which corals under stress (e.g., by elevated water temperature) expel their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) in large numbers, or the concentration of algal photosynthetic pigments decreases. As a result, the corals' white skeletons show through their tissue and they appear bleached.

Detritus

The particulate, organic remains and waste of organisms. It constitutes a major food source in marine ecosystems.

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Refraction (of water waves)