Galapagos marine iguana  (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

Alga: A collection of taxonomically unrelated groups that share some common features but are grouped together for historical reasons and for convenience. They are of simple construction, and are mainly photoautotrophic, obtaining all their energy from light and carbon dioxide, and possess the photosynthetic pigment, chlorophyll A. They range in complexity from microscopic single cells to very complex plant-like forms, such as kelps. Algal groups include blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), red algae (rhodophyta), green algae (chlorophyta), brown algae and diatoms (chromista) as well as euglenophyta.
Colony: A group of organisms living together, individuals in the group are not physiologically connected and may not be related, such as a colony of birds. Another meaning refers to organisms, such as bryozoans, which are composed of numerous genetically identical modules (also referred to as zooids or ‘individuals'), which are produced by budding and remain physiologically connected.
El Nino: A natural phenomenon that happens every 4 to 12 years, and lasts for several months, when upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water does not occur. This causes the warming of ocean surface water off the western coast of South America and causes die-offs of plankton and fish. It also affects Pacific jet stream winds, altering storm tracks and creating unusual weather patterns in various parts of the world.
Endemic: A species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area.
Intertidal: Pertaining to the intertidal zone, the region between the high tide mark and low tide mark.
Subspecies: A population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.
Territory: Area occupied and defended by an animal, a pair of animals or a colony.

1. IUCN Red List (May, 2009)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
   
2. UNEP-WCMC species page (April, 2008)
   http://www.unep-wcmc.org/species/data/species_sheets/iguana.htm
   
3. CITES (November, 2003)
   http://www.cites.org
   
4. Byatt, A., Fothergill, A. and Holmes, M. (2001) The Blue Planet. BBC Worldwide Limited, London.
   
5. Bright, M. (2000) Andes to Amazon. BBC Worldwide Limited, London.
   
6. MarineBio.org (April, 2008)
   http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=165
   
7. Halliday, T. and Adler, K. (2002) The New Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
   
8. San Francisco State University: The Biogeography of  Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) (April, 2008)
   http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall99Projects/miguana.htm
   
9. Wikelski, M. (2005) Pers. Comm.
   
10. Hecht, J. (2002) Galapagos oil spill devastated marine iguanas. Nature, 417: 607. Available at:
    http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn2372-galapagos-oil-spill-devastated-marine-iguanas.html
    
11. Charles Darwin Foundation (April, 2008)
    http://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/galapagos/marine
    
12. Galapagos Conservation Trust (November, 2003)
    http://www.gct.org/