NWFSC Glossary - Northwest Fisheries Science Center

kelt
	A salmon after spawning.
keystone predator
	The dominant predator or the top predator that has a major influence on community structure. For example, sea otters are a keystone predator in kelp beds. Sea otters eat urchins that feed on kelp which house a huge diversity of other organisms. If sea otter populations are lowered in an area, the kelp beds are generally reduced and urchin barrens appear.
keystone species
	A species that has a major influence on community structure.
killer whale
	Species Orcinus orca. The three types of killer whales in the North Pacific are residents, transients, and offshores. Resident killer whales forage primarily for fish in relatively large groups in coastal areas. Transient killer whales, whose range extends over a broader area, primarily hunt marine mammals. Little is known about offshore killer whales, but their prey does include fish. The Southern Resident killer whale population consists of three pods that reside primarily in Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. Northern Residents and the closely related Alaska Residents occupy adjacent ranges in British Columbia and Alaska.
kingdom
	The broadest taxonomic classification for plants and animals. The descending categories are phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
kokanee
	A resident form of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) that spends its entire life in freshwater.