Oceans

Whether you're teaching high school marine biology or a second grade unit on oceans, youll find great sources of information on the World Wide Web. Use these sites to begin your virtual ocean exploration!

The Oceanography site from the US Office of Naval Research includes information on currents tides and waves, ocean habitats, water and more. Each section contains a short online quiz.

Ocean Planet is a Smithsonian Institution electronic exhibit that students can explore to learn about ocean currents, newly discovered sea creatures, people whose lives are shaped by the sea, and more.

Experience Antarctica, from the Australian Antarctic Program, offers general information for students and teachers about Antarctica and its surrounding seas, maps and images that can be downloaded for projects, classroom ideas for teachers, and accounts from Australian antarctic scientists.

Dolphins: The Oracles of the Sea presents a comprehensive biological, social, and ecological profile of the dolphin. This student-created site also includes a large library of dolphin images and video clips.

The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation provides a wealth of information about shark anatomy, evolution, and conservation, as well as a large library of shark photographs and video clips.

OAR Online offers research and investigation experiences for middle school science students and teachers. The site, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), includes directions for data gathering and analysis using online resources.

Marine Science Careers, from Sea Grant, profiles professionals in the fields of marine biology, oceanography, ocean engineering, and other related fields and provides salary information.

Coral Reef Ecology Home Page provides a detailed introduction from Dr. Teresa Turner at the University of Virginia.

The Digital Atlas of Marine Species and Locataions is an interactive database that presents photographs of marine life with scientific names and geographic locations.

Oceans Alive! was designed to teach Australian students about the ocean surrounding their continent. It offers information about whales, seals, kelp, and more. It also links to many Australian school sites.

Marine Ecosystems from the Missouri Botanical Garden's "What's it Like Where You Live" Web site includes sections on shorelines, temperate oceans, and tropical oceans.

Animal Resources from Sea World offers scientific information about coral reefs, whales, sharks, dolphins, fish, and other sea animals.

The Tsunami Information Center from the University of Washington provides lots of information about Tsunamis (tidal waves), including how these waves are formed and the history of several recent tsunamis around the world.

Free Willy/Keiko Foundation features information about whales and the ocean, as well as updates about the famous whale Keiko.

Monterey Bay, from National Geographic, allows students to explore the kelp forest in a virtual submersible dive and view the plants and animals of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Animals from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium includes information on beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, coral reefs and more. Click on "animals," then choose an animal from the pull-down menu.

Treasures@Sea: Exploring the Oceans through Literature provides activities, games, stories, and links for learning about the ocean. The site was created by a teacher for elementary students.

Ocean Adventure is a student-created Web site that provides a guided tour to visit and learn about hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.

Into the Abyss is a Web site that accompanies a NOVA special from PBS. It features images of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and information about the people and technology used to explore them.

About Water Levels, Tides & Currents from NOAA, is a detailed explanation of tidal analysis and tidal prediction.

Ocean Rescue , from the World Wildlife Fund, gives information about endangered ocean animals and habitats.

The Safari Touch Tank allows students to click on the image of a tidepool organism to learn more about that animal.

Coral Reefs, from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, teaches about the coral reef ecosystem.

Secrets of the Ocean Realm provides information about many sea creatures that were featured in a PBS special of the same name.

Marine Life Profiles highlights plants and animals of the Pacific, from the Waikiki Aquarium.

Creature Features , from the Learning Center of the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, California, tells the story of sea horses, sharks, gray whales, jellyfish, and more.

Onboard the Titanic from the Discovery Channel examines scientific evidence to explore what actually happened to the legendary ship.

Titanic is a special exhibit from Brittanica Online which presents the history of the Titanic with many historic photographs.

The E-quarium from the Monterey Bay Aquarium offers Kelp Cam, Otter Cam, Penguin Cam and more.

Ocean Tank Web Cam at the New England Aquarium

Fisheye View Cam from Coral Gables, Florida

Web cams at the Georgia Aquarium

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