GLOSSARY

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CATADROMOUS (Catadrome)

Refers to fishes that go down rivers to the sea to spawn, as does the American eel.

(W. B. Scott and M. G. Scott. Atlantic Fishes of Canada. Can. Bull. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 219: 731 p., 1988).

CHART DATUM (Niveau de référence des cartes marines)

An established horizontal level to which soundings, ground elevations, water surface elevations and tidal data are referred.

(McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. McGraw-Hill Inc., 1978.)

CHRONIC TOXICITY (Toxicité chronique)

Toxicity resulting from the repeated exposure of a living organism to low doses of a substance over a long period.

(Translated from Parent, S. Dictionnaire des sciences de l’environnement. Broquet, Quebec, 1990.)

COLIFORMS (Coliformes)

Bacteria of the group Escherichia coli present in waters polluted by fermentive organic matter. The large intestines of human beings and animals are typical hosts.

(Translated from Ramade, F. Dictionnaire encyclopédique de l'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement. Édiscience international, Paris, 1993.)

CONDITION FACTOR (Coefficient de condition de Fulton)

Refers to a mathematical formula for determing the physiological state of a fish, including its reproductive capacity. It is calculated by dividing fish weight by length cubed (W/L³). The heavier a fish for a given length, the higher its condition factor (K).

Translated from Ricker, W.E. Calcul et interprétation des statistiques biologiques des populations de poissons. Bulletins de l’office des recherches sur les pêcheries du Canada, 191F, Ottawa, 1980.)

CONTINENTAL ICE SHEET (Inlandsis)

An ice sheet is a continuous mass of ice and snow of considerable thickness and covering a large area of rock or water. The ice sheets occupying most of the Antarctic continent and Greenland at the present day are referred to as "continental ice sheets."

(Adapted from Clark, A. N., ed. Dictionary of Geography. Penguin Group, London, 1990).

CRITICAL LOAD (Chrage critique)

The maximum amount of acid deposition permissible to protect 95% of lakes in a particular region from acidification (pH < 6). In other words, the threshold above which the pollutant load harms the environment.

CURRENT (Courant)

Movement of masses of water or air generated by differences in temperature and/or pressure, or a difference in altitude, in the case of continental currents.

(Translated from Ramade, F. Dictionnaire encyclopédique de l'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement. Édiscience international, Paris, 1993.)

DIADROMOUS (Diadrome)

Of fish, migrating between salt and fresh waters.

(McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. McGraw-Hill Inc., 1978.)

DIAGENESIS (Diagénèse)

Processes that alter the structure, texture and mineralogy of a sediment, turning it progressively into solid hard rock. Early diagenesis occurs immediately after deposition or burial of the sediment.

DISCHARGE (Débit)

Volume of water flowing in a water course by unit of time at a given site.

(Translation Bureau. Termium. Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 1999.)

DISPERSION PLUME (Panache de dispersion)

Refers to the area of dispersion of an effluent.