| Aerobic | Living, active or occurring only in the presence of oxygen. |
| Alewife | A small food fish of the herring family. |
| Algae (Anabaena sp.) | Chiefly aquatic, nonvascular plants. |
| Anaerobic | Living, active or occurring in the absence of free oxygen. |
| Anoxic | Oxygen-deprived |
| Diatoms | A class of minute, planktonic algae with silicified skeletons that form diatomite. |
| Epilimnion | The surface water of a lake, which is warm, well-mixed and high in oxygen. |
| Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) | A particularly aggressive invasive aquatic plant with finely pinnate submersed leaves. |
| Eutrophication | The process through which a body of water becomes rich in dissolved nutrients but often shallow and seasonally deficient in oxygen. In essence, the dying of a lake. |
| Herbivorous | Feeding on plants. |
| Hypolimnion | The deepest layer of lake water, cold and devoid of oxygen. |
| Invasive Plants | Non-native plants which tend to spread aggressively. |
| Limnology | The scientific study of physical, chemical, meteorological and biological conditions in fresh waters. |
| Mesotrophic | Having a moderate amount of dissolved nutrients, ie. in the middle stages of eutrophication. |
| Nannoplankton | The smallest planktonic organisms. |
| Oligotrophic | Deficient in plant nutrients and having an abundance of dissolved oxygen with no marked stratification. |
| pH | A measurement on a scale of 1 to 14 of alkalinity (greater than 7) and acidity (less than 7), with 7 representing neutrality. |
| Phosphorus | A nonmetallic multivalent element of the nitrogen family which promotes plant growth in water. |
| Phytoplankton | Planktonic plant life. |
| Plankton | The passively floating or weakly swimming (usually minute) plant or animal life of a body of water. |
| Rip-Rap | A foundation or sustaining wall of stones (as in deep water or or on an embankment) to prevent erosion. |
| Secchi Disk | A yellow and black disk lowered into a body of water to measure water clarity. |
| Stratification | The process in which a body of water separates into distinct layers. |
| TP | Total Phosphorous |
| Water Milfoil | See Eurasian Watermilfoil |
| Waterchestnut | An invasive aquatic herb of the evening-primrose family. |
| Watershed | An area bounded peripherally by a water parting and draining into a particular body of water. |
| Zooplankton | Planktonic animal life. |
