Oceanography | June 2021
Oceanography
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE OCEANOGRAPHY SOCIETY
VOL.34, NO.2, JUNE 2021
MARINE BIODIVERSITY OBSERVATION NETWORK
AN OBSERVING SYSTEM FOR LIFE IN THE SEA
Oceanography | Vol.34, No.2
VOL. 34, NO. 2, JUNE 2021
seabird.com
Oceanography | June 2021
contents
VOL. 34, NO. 2, JUNE 2021
SPECIAL ISSUE ON
THE MARINE BIODIVERSITY OBSERVATION NETWORK:
AN OBSERVING SYSTEM FOR LIFE IN THE SEA
12
Introduction to the Special Issue
By F.P. Chavez, R.J. Miller, F.E. Muller-Karger, K. Iken, G. Canonico, K. Egan, J. Price,
and W. Turner
16
Pelagic Biodiversity, Ecosystem Function, and Services: An Integrated
Observing and Modeling Approach
By J.A. Santora, I.D. Schroeder, S.J. Bograd, F.P. Chavez, M.A. Cimino, J. Fiechter,
E.L. Hazen, M.T. Kavanaugh, M. Messié, R.R. Miller, K.M. Sakuma, W.J. Sydeman,
B.K. Wells, and J.C. Field
38
Changes in Diversity and Species Composition Across Multiple
Assemblages in the Eastern Chukchi Sea During Two Contrasting Years
are Consistent with Borealization
By F.J. Mueter, K. Iken, L.W. Cooper, J.M. Grebmeier, K.J. Kuletz, R.R. Hopcroft,
S.L. Danielson, R.E. Collins, and D.A. Cushing
52
Reef-Fish Abundance, Biomass, and Biodiversity Inside and Outside No-Take
Marine Zones in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: 1999–2018
By M. Medina, C. Estes, B. Best, C.D. Stallings, E. Montes, L.G. McEachron,
and F.E. Muller-Karger
62
Satellite Remote Sensing and the Marine Biodiversity Observation
Network: Current Science and Future Steps
By M.T. Kavanaugh, T. Bell, D. Catlett, M.A. Cimino, S.C. Doney, W. Klajbor,
M. Messié, E. Montes, F.E. Muller-Karger, D. Otis, J.A. Santora, I.D. Schroeder, J. Triñanes,
and D.A. Siegel
80
Optimizing Large-Scale Biodiversity Sampling Effort: Toward an
Unbalanced Survey Design
By E. Montes, J.S. Lefcheck, E. Guerra-Castro, E. Klein, M.T. Kavanaugh, A.C.A. Mazzuco,
G. Bigatti, C.A.M.M. Cordeiro, N. Simoes, E.C. Macaya, N. Moity, E. Londoño-Cruz,
B. Helmuth, F. Choi, E.H. Soto, P. Miloslavich, and F.E. Muller-Karger
92
Species Archetype Models of Kelp Forest Communities Reveal Diverse
Responses to Environmental Gradients
By R.L. Rognstad, A. Rassweiler, D.C. Reed, L. Kui, and R.J. Miller
102 Observing Life in the Sea Using Environmental DNA
By F.P. Chavez, M. Min, K. Pitz, N. Truelove, J. Baker, D. LaScala-Grunewald, M. Blum,
K. Walz, C. Nye, A. Djurhuus, R.J. Miller, K.D. Goodwin, F.E. Muller-Karger, H.A. Ruhl,
and C.A. Scholin
120 A Global Ecological Classification of Coastal Segment Units to Complement
Marine Biodiversity Observation Network Assessments
By R. Sayre, K. Butler, K. Van Graafeiland, S. Breyer, D. Wright, C. Frye, D. Karagulle,
M. Martin, J. Cress, T. Allen, R.J. Allee, R. Parsons, B. Nyberg, M.J. Costello, P. Harris,
and F.E. Muller-Karger
12
62
52
Oceanography | June 2021
'Sebastes elongatus'
'Kogia breviceps'
'Clupea pallasii'
'Doryteuthis opalescens'
'Tactostoma macropus'
'Hexanchus griseus'
'Balaenoptera acutorostrata'
'Paralichthys californicus'
'Thysanoessa gregaria'
'Porichthys notatus'
'Lyopsetta exilis'
'Pandalus jordani'
'Chauliodus macouni'
'Pleuronichthys verticalis'
'Sterna elegans'
'Cololabis saira'
'Neotrypaea californiensis'
'Pterodroma sandwichensis'
'Triphoturus mexicanus'
'Fratercula corniculata'
'Octopoteuthis deletron'
Aurelia
'Mustelus californicus'
Mysidacea
'Sebastes goodei'
Malacosteus
'Dosidicus gigas'
'Chrysaora colorata'
'Phalaropus lobatus'
'Engraulis mordax'
'Pterodroma cookii'
'Sebastes babcocki'
'Delphinus capensis'
'Gavia stellata'
'Sebastes caurinus'
Berryteuthis
'Xeneretmus latifrons'
'Balaenoptera borealis'
'Pseudobathylagus milleri'
'Hydrolagus colliei'
'Trachurus symmetricus'
'Ardenna tenuirostris'
'Cranchia scabra'
Phosichthyidae
'Symbolophorus californiensis'
'Ardenna carneipes'
'Raja binoculata'
'Pasiphaea pacifica'
'Merluccius productus'
'Argentina sialis'
'Puffinus opisthomelas'
'Larus argentatus'
'Stomias atriventer'
'Tarletonbeania crenularis'
'Cymatogaster aggregata'
'Atheresthes stomias'
'Physeter catodon'
'Desmodema lorum'
'Enhydra lutris'
'Leucophaeus pipixcan'
'Sebastes proriger'
'Ophiodon elongatus'
'Hydrobates melania'
'Hydroprogne caspia'
'Diaphus theta'
'Hydrobates homochroa'
'Bathylagus stilbius'
'Sebastes rosaceus'
'Sebastolobus alascanus'
Palinuridae
'Mola mola'
'Rissa tridactyla'
'Prionace glauca'
'Sebastes saxicola'
Phronima
'Macroramphosus gracilis'
'Sphyraena argentea'
'Hydrobates microsoma'
'Phocoena phocoena'
'Larus californicus'
'Sardinops sagax'
'Gavia immer'
'Euphausia mutica'
'Sebastes ovalis'
Eurypharyngidae
'Brama japonica'
'Sebastes serriceps'
'Xema sabini'
'Fulmarus glacialis'
'Hemilepidotus spinosus'
'Sebastes paucispinis'
Nannobrachium
'Stercorarius maccormicki'
Gonatus
'Euphausia eximia'
'Brachyramphus marmoratus'
'Phacellophora camtschatica'
Idiacanthus
Zaniolepis
'Euphausia recurva'
'Citharichthys sordidus'
'Euphausia pacifica'
'Thalasseus maximus'
Aequorea
'Cyclothone acclinidens'
'Hydrobates furcatus'
'Oncorhynchus kisutch'
'Bathylagus pacificus'
'Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus'
'Sebastes jordani'
'Orcinus orca'
'Ardenna bulleri'
Remora
Opisthoproctidae
'Tetronarce californica'
'Nematoscelis difficilis'
'Euphausia gibboides'
'Mirounga angustirostris'
'Oncorhynchus mykiss'
'Psettichthys melanostictus'
'Sebastes rastrelliger'
'Sebastes crameri'
'Pteroplatytrygon violacea'
Abraliopsis
'Pleuronichthys decurrens'
'Lampadena urophaos'
'Raja inornata'
'Peprilus simillimus'
'Sebastes reedi'
'Sebastes mystinus'
'Sebastes aurora'
'Oceanites oceanicus'
'Ardenna pacifica'
'Sebastes melanostomus'
'Sebastes entomelas'
'Lycodes cortezianus'
'Podiceps nigricollis'
'Spirinchus thaleichthys'
'Thysanoessa spinifera'
'Sterna hirundo'
'Sebastes rufus'
'Medialuna californiensis'
'Chrysaora fuscescens'
'Hydrobates leucorhous'
'Eopsetta jordani'
'Ardenna creatopus'
'Icosteus aenigmaticus'
'Onykia robusta'
'Sebastes serranoides'
'Girella nigricans'
'Nemichthys scolopaceus'
'Pterodroma ultima'
Scorpaenidae
'Grampus griseus'
'Ptychoramphus aleuticus'
'Microgadus proximus'
Paralepididae
'Globicephala macrorhynchus'
'Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'
'Aechmophorus occidentalis'
'Larus delawarensis'
'Rhinogobiops nicholsii'
'Lepidogobius lepidus'
'Eumetopias jubatus'
'Larus occidentalis'
Melamphaidae
'Stenella coeruleoalba'
Bathymasteridae
Petromyzontidae
Gempylidae
'Sebastolobus altivelis'
'Ocythoe tuberculata'
'Raja stellulata'
'Berardius bairdii'
'Oxylebius pictus'
'Sula leucogaster'
'Sterna paradisaea'
'Microstomus pacificus'
'Stercorarius longicaudus'
'Sebastes wilsoni'
'Larus heermanni'
'Aechmophorus clarkii'
'Ardenna grisea'
'Balaenoptera musculus'
'Urile penicillatus'
'Larus philadelphia'
Carinaria
'Nannopterum auritus'
'Nyctiphanes simplex'
'Raja rhina'
'Pelecanus occidentalis'
'Lepidopsetta bilineata'
'Balaenoptera physalus'
'Bathophilus flemingi'
'Larus canus'
'Stercorarius pomarinus'
'Anoplopoma fimbria'
'Stercorarius parasiticus'
'Lycodapus fierasfer'
'Glyptocephalus zachirus'
'Lycodapus mandibularis'
Pterotrachea
Pandeidae
'Icichthys lockingtoni'
'Stenobrachius leucopsarus'
'Scomber japonicus'
'Sebastes dallii'
'Sebastes pinniger'
'Eschrichtius robustus'
'Chilara taylori'
'Onychoteuthis borealijaponica'
Moridae
Sternoptychidae
'Ammodytes hexapterus'
'Symphurus atricaudus'
'Sebastes flavidus'
'Sebastes semicinctus'
'Liparis fucensis'
'Pseudorca crassidens'
'Sebastes auriculatus'
'Squalus suckleyi'
'Gasterosteus aculeatus'
'Sebastes melanops'
'Atherinopsis californiensis'
'Atherinops affinis'
'Sarda chiliensis'
'Callorhinus ursinus'
'Thetys vagina'
'Phocoenoides dalli'
'Citharichthys stigmaeus'
'Synodus lucioceps'
'Parophrys vetulus'
Ctenophora
'Scorpaenichthys marmoratus'
'Phoebastria nigripes'
'Zalophus californianus'
'Rhamphocottus richardsonii'
'Chiroteuthis calyx'
'Fratercula cirrhata'
'Lagenorhynchus obliquidens'
'Megaptera novaeangliae'
'Lissodelphis borealis'
Bentheogennema
'Rossia pacifica'
'Eptatretus stoutii'
'Delphinus delphis'
'Trachipterus altivelis'
'Sebastes miniatus'
Crangon
'Alopias vulpinus'
Pyroteuthidae
'Sebastes hopkinsi'
'Pleuroncodes planipes'
'Tursiops truncatus'
'Ziphius cavirostris'
'Oncorhynchus gorbuscha'
'Phoca vitulina'
'Cerorhinca monocerata'
'Pyrosoma atlanticum'
'Sebastes diploproa'
'Sterna forsteri'
'Gavia pacifica'
'Pandalus platyceros'
'Bothrocara molle'
Sergestidae
Syngnathidae
'Sebastes ruberrimus'
'Sebastes zacentrus'
'Synthliboramphus craveri'
Stomatopoda
'Platichthys stellatus'
'Genyonemus lineatus'
'Sebastes emphaeus'
'Phalaropus fulicaria'
'Urile pelagicus'
'Arctocephalus townsendi'
'Phoebastria albatrus'
'Argonauta argo'
'Synthliboramphus antiquus'
'Sebastes levis'
'Anarrhichthys ocellatus'
'Cepphus columba'
'Parmaturus xaniurus'
'Cepphus grylle'
'Tetragonurus cuvieri'
'Larus glaucescens'
'Uria aalge'
'Phoebastria immutabilis'
Alloposidae
75
50
25
10
Forage
YOY Groundfish
All
Colored ranges
Ctenophora
Cnidaria
Mollusca
Malacostraca
Cyclostomata
Thaliacea
Chondrichthys
Mammalia
Aves
Actinopteri
YOY Groundfish
Forage
All
16
Oceanography | Vol.34, No.2
ON THE COVER
Ray Troll’s rendition of life in the sea
colorized by Grace Freeman. Originally
featured in the 1994 book, Planet Ocean:
A Story of Life, the Sea and Dancing to
the Fossil Record, by Bradford Matson and
Ray Troll, Ten Speed Press, 133 pp.
CONTACT US
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SPECIAL ISSUE SPONSORS
Support for this special issue was provided
by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM), the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
SPECIAL ISSUE GUEST EDITORS
Francisco P. Chavez, Monterey Bay
Aquarium Research Institute
Robert J. Miller, University of California
Santa Barbara
Katrin Iken, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Frank E. Muller-Karger, University of
South Florida
130 Data Management and Interactive Visualizations for the Evolving Marine
Biodiversity Observation Network
By A. Benson, T. Murray, G. Canonico, E. Montes, F.E. Muller-Karger, M.T. Kavanaugh,
J. Triñanes, and L.M. deWitt
142 Integrating Biodiversity and Environmental Observations in Support of
National Marine Sanctuary and Large Marine Ecosystem Assessments
By H.A. Ruhl, J.A. Brown, A.R. Harper, E.L. Hazen, L. deWitt, P. Daniel, A. DeVogelaere,
R.M. Kudela, J.P. Ryan, A.D. Fischer, F.E. Muller-Karger, and F.P. Chavez
REGULAR ISSUE FEATURES
156 Implosion in the Challenger Deep: Echo Sounding with the Shock Wave
By S. Loranger, D. Barclay, and M. Buckingham
166 Surface Wave Breaking Caused by Internal Solitary Waves: Effects on Radar
Backscattering Measured by SAR and Radar Altimeter
By J.M. Magalhães, W. Alpers, A.M. Santos-Ferreira, and J.C.B. da Silva
DEPARTMENTS
05
QUARTERDECK. Changing Workplace Concepts
By E.S. Kappel
06
FROM THE TOS JEDI COMMITTEE. A Short Glossary of Inclusive Language
By S.E. Craig and E. Bhatt
10
RIPPLE MARKS. Coralporosis: Ocean Acidification Leaves Deep-Sea Coral
Reefs at Risk of Collapse
By C.L. Dybas
177 DIY OCEANOGRAPHY. A Simple and Inexpensive Method for Manipulating
Dissolved Oxygen in the Lab
By K.J. Gadeken and K.M. Dorgan
184 THE OCEANOGRAPHY CLASSROOM. Diversifying the Ocean Sciences:
Thoughts on the Challenge Ahead
By C. Garza
186 CAREER PROFILES. Meredith White, Director of Research and Development,
Mook Sea Farm • Katherine Segarra, Supervisor, Biological Sciences Unit,
Office of the Environment, Gulf of Mexico Regional Office, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management
Oceanography | Vol.34, No.2
156
166
Oceanography | June 2021
Oceanography | June 2021
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trum of oceanographic inquiry.
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SECRETARY: Allison Miller
TREASURER: Susan Banahan
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APPLIED TECHNOLOGY: Larry Mayer
BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Kim S. Bernard
CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Galen McKinley
EARLY CAREER: Erin Satterthwaite
EDUCATION: Sara Harris
GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Amelia Shevenell
OCEAN DATA SCIENCE: Vicki Ferrini
OCEAN SCIENCE AND POLICY: Leopoldo C. Gerhardinger
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Oceanography contains peer-reviewed articles that chronicle
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ogy. The overall goal of Oceanography is cross- disciplinary
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Oceanography | Vol.34, No.2
Seeking Guest Columnists for
The Oceanography Classroom
Do you have any classroom tips to pass
along to your colleagues? Successful ways
you’ve engaged your class?
Please contact Oceanography Editor
Ellen Kappel (ekappel@geo-prose.com)
with any ideas you may have.
https://tos.org/classroom
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The Career Profiles Column
Needs Your Help!
WHO WOULD
YOU PROFILE?
Oceanography publishes “career profiles” of marine scientists who
have pursued fulfilling careers outside of academia. These profiles are
intended to advise ocean sciences graduate students about career
options other than teaching and/or research in a university setting.
They also include wisdom on how to go about the job search.
We need your help finding new people to profile! Please take five, ten,
or even fifteen minutes of your time to come up with some names.
Self-nominations are accepted!
Please send contact information to ekappel@geo-prose.com
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OCEANOGRAPHY
https://tos.org/diy-oceanography
In this Oceanography section, contributing authors share all of
the relevant information on a homemade sensor or instrument
so that others can build, or build upon, it. The short articles also
showcase how this technology was used successfully in the field.
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Oceanography guest editors Melissa Omand and Emmanuel Boss
are seeking contributions to DIY Oceanography. Contributions
should include a list of the materials and costs, instructions on
how to build, and any blueprints and codes (those could be
deposited elsewhere). See Oceanography’s Author Guidelines
page for detailed information on submission requirements.
https://tos.org/oceanography/guidelines
Oceanography | June 2021
QUARTERDECK
Changing Workplace Concepts
AS I’VE QUIPPED more than a few times
to colleagues over the past year-and-a-
half of COVID-19 restrictions, I’ve been
practicing for a pandemic for more than
20 years. I am all too familiar with the
pros and cons of working from home over
extended periods. I was a pioneer in that
arena, starting in the days (about 1999)
when using a modem and my home tele-
phone line to dial into the Internet was
a technology breakthrough. I couldn’t
have started my at-home business with-
out that outside link to the world and a
way to exchange digital files with my
designer, who had moved to the other
side of the continent. But, even with the
blistering speed that fiber-optic cabling
now provides for efficiently exchanging
ever larger files between us (we still work
together and we still live far away from
each other), I appreciate more than most
the value of working face-to-face daily
with colleagues.
Years ago when I was a program man-
ager for the Ocean Drilling Programs at
Joint Oceanographic Institutions, work-
ing from home was not part of the work-
place lexicon. I recall discussions among
the top managers about letting some staff
“telecommute,” but they decided that
being in the office was necessary for staff
interactions, many of them spontaneous,
that improve work outcomes, and there
was some concern that morale would suf-
fer if not all staff had the option of tele-
commuting at least some of the time. And
to be frank, there was concern about how
much work would really get done if peo-
ple stayed home. There were no data yet
on the productivity of telecommuters.
Fast forward to the COVID-19 pan-
demic of 2020–2021, when many non-
essential workers had to find ways to get
their work done from home. For some
jobs in the business world, and for some
age groups, it was a relatively easy adjust-
ment. For others, such as researchers
whose fieldwork or experiments were
canceled or postponed or those who had
children at home, not so much. Many
people whose office work relied on dig-
ital files that could be accessed over the
Internet found that they could be pro-
ductive workers from home and surely
did not miss the time consumed by com-
muting to work. Zoom and similar tech-
nologies allowed staff meetings to con-
tinue to take place, and we all got better
at it with more experience. Large con-
ferences experimented with novel ways
to run sessions, promote exchange of
knowledge, and foster networking, even
if remotely. The availability of online
webinars exploded, substantially increas-
ing access to a wide array of learning
opportunities— a trend I hope continues.
As businesses, institutions, and gov-
ernments look at new workplace models
for the future, my hope is that people
who work in those sectors will mostly
choose to go back to the office, at least
for the majority of the work week. For
young workers to grow in their careers,
they need to work side-by-side with
more experienced mentors, and mentors
need to be able to work one-on-one with
the next generation. Ensuring a knowl-
edgeable, vibrant, and savvy workforce
requires interacting with people on a reg-
ular basis—in person. While it is enticing
to make the choice to work from home if
that option is available—I can’t deny the
benefits of having the freedom to throw
in a load of laundry, run errands, or go to
the gym when I feel like it—all in all, the
office is the better place to be.
Ellen S. Kappel, Editor
UPCOMING
SPECIAL ISSUES
DECEMBER 2021
Oceans Across the Solar System
DECEMBER 2021 SUPPLEMENT
Ocean Observing
MARCH 2022
The Changing Arctic Ocean
MARCH 2022 SUPPLEMENT
New Frontiers in Ocean
Exploration
SEPTEMBER 2022
Building Diversity and Inclusion
in the Ocean Sciences
Oceanography
https://tos.org/oceanography
CALL FOR IDEAS!
Do you have an idea for a special issue
of Oceanography? Please send your
suggestions to Editor Ellen Kappel at
ekappel@geo-prose.com.
Oceanography | Vol.34, No.2
A Short Glossary of Inclusive Language
Compiled by Susanne E. Craig and EeShan Bhatt
FROM THE TOS JEDI COMMITTEE
Words matter—that old adage that many of us may have heard
as children,
Sticks and stones may break my bones,
but words will never hurt me,
is a harmful fallacy. In reality, the language we use has tremen-
dous power to alienate, exclude, deride, humiliate, and wound.
On the other hand, thoughtful use of language can signal
openness, inclusivity, admiration, and celebration, or simply be
an expression of empathy and care for our fellow humans. As part
of The Oceanography Society (TOS) Justice, Equity, Diversity,
and Inclusion Committee’s series of columns in Oceanography,
here we provide a glossary of terms that are often used while dis-
cussing topics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
and gender identity.
It should be explicitly stated that this list is neither definitive
nor exhaustive. Indeed, the terms included here are likely heavily
influenced by the authors’ own lived experiences and the lenses
through which we see the world. Language is a living entity, a
fluid social construct subject to rapid changes and overlaid with
regional nuances. Indeed, what may be accurate and accept-
able terminology for one person may be entirely unacceptable
for another. Keeping this in mind, the following glossary is an
attempt to group together some of the acronyms and phrases
that are most commonly used today in social justice studies and
bodies of work and that may have particular relevance to our
community of ocean-related scientists, technologists, and stake-
holders. We have borrowed heavily from a wide range of excel-
lent existing scholarship and activism and have cited all sources
used. We encourage the reader to follow the links to these multi-
media resources and, perhaps, use them as teaching and dis-
cussion materials with your students, colleagues, and mentees.
Finally, it is our hope that this glossary, along with the links pro-
vided to more comprehensive definitions and discussions, helps
to define terms that you may have heard used, but not under-
stood, and that it will serve to remind us of the power of the
words we use in our everyday professional and personal lives.
We begin by defining the very words that form the name of
our committee: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI).
JUSTICE
Justice is fairness in the way that people are treated.1 However,
in the context we discuss it here, it is more correct to define
social justice. This term can be formally defined in several
ways2 and references therein, but the overarching principles common to
all definitions are:
• Equal rights
• Equal opportunity
• Equal treatment
Or, in other words, social justice means equal rights and equi-
table opportunities for all.2
When we think of implementing social justice in our com-
munities, some examples might include correcting the racial,
gender-based, socioeconomic, or geographical injustices and
inequities that have created barriers to those entering our field,
bringing to bear our professional capabilities in the field of
environmental justice (see Table 1 for a definition of this term,
which is strongly related to social justice), and/or confronting
our relationship with colonial science (see Table 1 for a defini-
tion of decolonizing science).
EQUITY
Equity refers to fairness and justice and is distinguished from
equality in that, whereas equality means providing the same to
all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the
same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to
counter imbalances (Figure 1). This is an ongoing process that
requires us to identify and overcome intentional and uninten-
tional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures.3
FIGURE 1. The difference between equality and equity. Interaction Insti-
tute for Social Change, Illustration by Angus Maguire, https://interaction-
institute.org/illustrating-equality-vs-equity/
EQUALITY
EQUITY
Oceanography | June 2021
Oceanography | June 2021
TABLE 1. A glossary of terms.
AAPI
The many diverse groups of people with Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ancestry.
Ally
In the social justice sense, allies are those who make the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on gender,
class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice. Allies understand that it
is in their own interest to end all forms of oppression, even those from which they may benefit in concrete ways.4
Bias
Bias is a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way that is considered
to be unfair. Biases may be held by an individual, a group, or an institution and can have negative or positive consequences.
There are types of biases:
• Conscious bias (also known as explicit bias), and
• Unconscious bias (also known as implicit bias).
It is important to note that biases, conscious or unconscious, are not limited to ethnicity and race. Though racial bias and discrim-
ination are well documented, biases may exist toward any social group. One’s age, gender, gender identity, physical abilities,
religion, sexual orientation, weight, and many other characteristics are subject to bias.
Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious
awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from our ten-
dency to organize social worlds by categorizing.
Unconscious bias is far more prevalent than conscious prejudice and is often incompatible with conscious values. Certain sce-
narios can activate unconscious attitudes and beliefs. For example, biases may be more prevalent when multitasking or working
under time pressure.6
BIPOC
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Mostly used in North America. See references 7–10 for discussions on the origins of this
term and its use.
BAME
Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic. Used in the UK, but see references 11–13 for recent discussions on the acceptability of its use.
BLM
Black Lives Matter: A political movement to address systemic and state violence against African Americans.4 Per the Black Lives
Matter organizers: “In 2013, three radical Black organizers—Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi—created a Black-
centered political will and movement building project called #BlackLivesMatter. It was in response to the acquittal of Trayvon
Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman. The project is now a member-led global network of more than 40 chapters. [Black Lives
Matter] members organize and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilan-
tes. Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally
targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of
deadly oppression.”14
Decolonizing
Science
Decolonization is a movement to eliminate, or at least mitigate, the disproportionate legacy of White European thought and cul-
ture in education15 [and science]. For further discussion and examples of the decolonialization of science, see references 16–18
and references therein.
Emotional
Labor
First coined by American sociologist Arlie Hochschild in her 1983 book The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human
Feeling19, emotional labor means to: “induce or suppress feeling in order to sustain the outward countenance that produces the
proper state of mind in others.” Emotional labor involves the management of personal feelings and behaviors to align with insti-
tutional (or other organizational or individual) expectations, even when dealing with emotionally charged situations. It’s an often
uncompensated, underappreciated, and overlooked form of labor that is performed in service to others. For example, in the con-
text of race dialogues, either in the workplace or in more individual settings (e.g., with friends, family, or on social media), this can
translate into minorities† sharing some of their most painful experiences for the collective good, while being careful to manage
their emotions so as not to make things awkward for others after the conversation.20
†See reference 21 on use of the word “minority”
Environmental
Racism
Any policy, practice, or directive that differentially affects or disadvantages (whether intended or unintended) individuals, groups,
or communities based on race. This term refers to how minority group neighborhoods, which are populated primarily by peo-
ple of color and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, are burdened with disproportionate numbers of hazards, including
toxic waste facilities, garbage dumps, and other sources of environmental pollution and foul odors that lower the quality of life.
Examples of environmental racism include:
• The devastating pollution of the Boat Harbour water body (and surrounding airshed) in Nova Scotia, Canada—an ancestral fish-
ing ground of the Mi’kmaq First Nation—by the discharging of effluent from a pulp mill22 and extensive studies cited therein, and
• “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana, USA—a corridor of petrochemical plants that has polluted the surrounding water and air and sub-
jected the mostly African American residents in St. James Parish to cancer, respiratory diseases, and other health problems.23
Environmental
Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to
the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.24 The environmental jus-
tice movement grew out of a need to respond to environmental racism, and each global region has its own unique history of
environmental justice development.25–29
Ethnicity
A social construct that divides people into smaller social groups based on characteristics such as shared sense of group
membership, values, behavioral patterns, language, political and economic interests, history, and ancestral geographical
base.4 and references therein
Table continues on the next page…
Oceanography | Vol.34, No.2
Oceanography | Vol.34, No.2
Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse where a person or group makes someone question their sanity, perception of real-
ity, or memories. Examples of gaslighting in social justice terms include “racial gaslighting,” which is a way of maintaining a pro-
White/anti-Black balance in society by labeling those who challenge acts of racism as psychologically abnormal30 and minimizing
or dismissing people’s real and legitimate trauma through statements such as “Women in other countries have it much worse!”
or “Don’t be the PC police!”31
Generational
Trauma
(also known as
intergenerational
or transgenera-
tional trauma)
Trauma that isn’t experienced just by one person but extends from one generation to the next. It is thought that the effects of the
trauma can be passed from generation to generation in a number of ways that include learned beliefs, behaviors, and patterns,
and genetic processes.32 Examples of populations affected by generational trauma include African Americans who are subjected
to pervasive systemic racism, families of US indigenous and Canadian First Nations children forced into residential school sys-
tems, and families of Holocaust survivors.33 and references therein
Latinx
A gender-neutral English neologism, sometimes used to refer to people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity in the United
States. The “x” suffix replaces the “o”/“a” ending of Latino and Latina that are typical of grammatical gender in Spanish. Its plural
is Latinxs. Words used for similar purposes include Latin@, Latine, and Latinidad.34
LGBTQI+
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex. The + indicates that there are identities beyond the six listed here that
include, but are not limited to, Two Spirited, pansexual, omnisexual, asexual, and allies of these identity groups.35
Microaggression
The everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that
communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group
membership.4 and sources therein
Oppression
The systematic subjugation of one social group by a more powerful social group for the social, economic, and political benefit
of the more powerful social group.
Oppression exists when the following four conditions are met:36
• The oppressor group has the power to define reality for themselves and others
• The target groups take in and internalize the negative messages about them and end up cooperating with the oppressors
(thinking and acting like them)
• Genocide, harassment, and discrimination are systematic and institutionalized, so that individuals are not necessary to
perpetuate it
• Members of both the oppressor and target groups are socialized to play their roles as normal and correct
Oppression = Power + Prejudice37
Performative
Allyship
Performative allyship is when someone from a non-marginalized group professes support and solidarity with a marginalized group
in a way that either isn’t helpful or that actively harms that group. Performative allyship usually involves the “ally” receiving some
kind of reward, for example, on social media—that virtual pat on the back for being a “good person” or “on the right side.”38
POC
Person(s) of Color. While this term is affirming (in a way that non-White is not), there is significant variation of experiences
among POC. In conversation, it is best practice to be as specific as possible and reciprocate the language any POC may use to
describe themselves.
Systemic
Racism
(also known
as structural or
institutional
racism)
Systems and structures that have procedures or processes that create disadvantages for people of color. It is the complex inter-
action of culture, policy, and institutions that holds in place the outcomes people of color see in their lives. Systemic racism is,
essentially, naming the process of White supremacy. It creates disparities in many “success indicators,” including wealth, the
criminal justice system, employment, housing, health care, politics, and education. The concept dates back to work done by
scholar and civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois39 and was first named during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and was fur-
ther refined in the 1980s.40
Examples of how this type of racism manifests include:
• In the United States, glaring disparities between rates of arrest and incarceration for the BIPOC communities and White people41
• Huge life expectancy disparities between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians (≤21 years for men and ≤19 years for
women) thought to be strongly related to the inferior healthcare that Aboriginal peoples receive in the healthcare system as
well as other systemic inequities42
• In the United States, government policies that explicitly restrict the ability of people to get loans to buy or improve their homes
in neighborhoods with high concentrations of African Americans (also known as “redlining”)4
• In the UK universities system, the finding that people of color comprise a tiny proportion of professor positions, with just 17
Black women in those positions in 2015 and ethnic minority groups earning on average 26% less than their White colleagues43
White
Centering
White centering is the centering of White people, White values, White norms, and White feelings over everything and
everyone else.44
White
Fragility
A state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable [for White people], triggering a range of defen-
sive responses. These responses include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such
as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate White racial
equilibrium.4 and references therein
White
Privilege
Refers to the unquestioned and unearned set of advantages, entitlements, benefits, and choices bestowed on people solely
because they are White. Generally, White people who experience such privilege do so without being conscious of it.4
TABLE 1. A glossary of terms, continued.