Links
Other Aquatic Resources
General Interest
Cultured Aquatic Species Fact Sheets
FAO FIGIS (Fisheries Global Information System) provides these reports for 39 species including the 3 most recent additions on Japanese eel, Flathead grey mullet and Coho salmon. Topics include biological identification, habitat, production cycles and systems, disease control and trade/marketing statistics, among others.
World Environment Day 2004 (June 5)
Sponsored by the UN Environmental Programme, this annual event is observed worldwide to stimulate awareness, political attention and action. This year's theme: "WANTED! Seas and Oceans - Dead or Alive?" [UK] [Australia] [Africa]
Aquaculture Communications Group
Created in April 2003 by two former editors of noted aquaculture publications, this site includes international aquaculture news, announcements and events related to the industry.
MarineBio
A nonprofit project developed and maintained by marine biology researchers, Web designers, writers, and other professionals dedicated promoting marine biology and protecting marine resources. Visitors are invited to "find out about new species, get involved in ocean conservation, explore dynamic research or marine life news" and to generally take part in MarineBio's "evolving tribute to all ocean life."
Benthic Habitats of the Main Hawaiian Islands [jpeg, pdf, zip]
This site from NOAA's National Ocean Service offers a "benthic habitat classification manual, a benthic habitat map for the nearshore waters of the main Hawaiian Islands, and supplemental geospatial data." This information forms part of a federal project to digitally "map, research, monitor, manage, and restore coral reef ecosystems." Data and maps available for the main Hawaiian Islands can be downloaded for free, or order a free CD-ROM.
All Catfish Species Inventory (ACSI)
Ichthyologists from around the world contribute to this useful portal to catfish resources and information. Features include a listing of type specimen locations, a guide to current phylogenetic studies and other projects, distribution maps, catfish news, announcements, a catfish oddities page, an excellent photo gallery and tables linking researchers with the Catfish families they study plus links to additional tables that break down by genera.
Copepod Web Portal
From the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of L'Aquila in Italy, this site provides a comprehensive and nicely designed set of online resources for those interested in this "largest and most diversified group of crustaceans." It features a detailed review of copepod systematics; an international directory of copepodologists; a sizeable list of references; and numerous links to related books, journals, papers, and other resources -- including downloadable version of Monoculus: The Copepod Newsletter. A small number of links lead to sites not accessible without special permission.
Marine Flatworms of the World
Individually hosted by Wolfgang Seifarth, this comprehensive site is devoted to the study of polyclad flatworms including their phylogeny, anatomy, natural history, distribution and more. Also includes an extensive image gallery of nudibranchs.
About Watersheds
A learning activity page provided by NBC4.com of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, the site describes watersheds, how they are affected by land use activities, and what citizens can do to help protect them.
Biology of the Great White Shark
ReefQuest Expeditions explores the evolution, classification, anatomy, physiology, sensory capabilities, brain/cognition, diet and predatory behavior of these animals.
U.S. Marine Shrimp Farming Program
A consortium of six institutions working towards resolution of problems confronted by commercial shrimp farmers. Domestic concerns include the effect of shrimp farming on the environment and have centered on the impact of effluent on receiving waters.
Organic Aquaculture
A project of the Institute for Social, Economic, and Ecological Sustainability at the University of Minnesota to draft new general principals and appropriate standards for sustainable organic aquaculture.
The Voyage of the Odyssey [RealPlayer, Flash]
A multimedia resource by PBS Online describing the Ocean Alliance's Voyage of the Odyssey, a multi-year project gathering baseline data on ocean health using whales, albatrosses, and pelagic fish as environmental indicators. Visitors can read or listen to daily logs from the ship and track the voyage. Science from the Field offers several video and audio reports; the Interactive Ocean section allows viewers to experience some of the sights and sounds beneath the surface; Class from the Sea (under construction) will offer exciting ways to interact with the voyage, including virtual teleconferencing with the ship's crew.
Phylogeny of Turtles
Dr. Eugene Gaffney of the American Museum of Natural History has created this Web site that offers a unique look at how turtles have evolved throughout history. Visitors can navigate through the guided exhibits to learn about turtles and their morphology. A bibliography of Dr. Gaffney's research is also provided.
Pew Center on Global Climate Change
A non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization dedicated to providing credible information, straight answers and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change; established in 1998 by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The Internet Guide to International Fisheries Law
This site on international marine living resource law, conservation and management is a major new resource covering fisheries, marine mammals and other marine species. It contains a large collection of full text materials, many additional links in related fields, a discussion list and a monthly news bulletin. (The latter requires a modest subscription fee, but this is half price in May).
Crayfish Homepage
Maintained by the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum at Brigham Young University, the Crayfish Homepage serves as an organizational metasite through which users may link to in-depth information on Crayfish identification, phylogeny, species lists, conservation, bibliography, and photographs. The site also provides lists of scientific societies that study crayfish, as well as links to crayfish-related and other crustacean sites.
Commercial Shark Fishery Observer Program -- FMNH
A cooperative effort of the Florida Museum of Natural History (FMNH) and the US Atlantic commercial shark fishing industry, the Commercial Shark Fishery Observer Program (CSFOP) "places fishery observers on cooperating commercial shark fishing vessels to observe the composition and disposition of the catch and by-catch." The information collected by at-sea observers is critical in developing realistic management strategies for the shark fishery. The CSFOP homepage gives an overview of the program and provides summary data for the project's entirety, including Final Report Abstracts (1994-1998); regional data summaries for 1994-2000 (on species composition of catch, catch per unit effort, and disposition of catch); biological profiles of three shark species; and a photo-illustrated description of the shark observer program.
MareNet - worldwide Network of Marine Research Institutions and Documents
Provides a set of online information services to facilitate contact between marine scientists and the worldwide marine science community. Links include marine research institutions and documents plus marine and earth science dataservices, among others.
EPA's Marine Debris Page
Sponsored by the Office of Water as a gathering point for EPA information on litter that finds its way into our oceans and waterways. Listed is information related to pollution from ships, as well as international efforts at cleanup. There is also information on what citizens can do to reverse or even prevent this dangerous practice.
Marine Stocks at Risk of Extinction
The American Fisheries Society provides this list of marine fish stocks and species at risk of extinction (MSRE) which identifies 82 species or populations vulnerable, threatened, or endangered in North American waters. Twenty-two species are categorized as vulnerable,threatened, or endangered to global extinction.
Aquatext: Free Online Aquaculture Dictionary
With over 2,500 aquaculture definitions including 280 tables, 250 pictures and 120 calculations aquatext.com is a dictionary that is written by aquaculturists for aquaculturists.
Center for Marine Conservation
The CMC is committed to protecting ocean environments and conserving the global abundance and diversity of marine life. Through science-based advocacy, research and public education, CMC promotes informed citizen participation to reverse the degradation of our oceans.
National Fisheries Conservation Center
The NFCC is dedicated to finding fisheries conservation and management approaches that work, both for the oceans and the people who depend on them. We believe that there is a common ground and that it can be found. We believe that there is a shared goal and that it can be reached. We are committed to a win-win scenario.
American Rivers Online
American Rivers is a national conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring America's river systems and to fostering a river stewardship ethic. The organization was founded in 1973 to expand the number of rivers protected by the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Along with our conservation efforts, American Rivers promotes public awareness about the importance of healthy rivers and the threats that face them.
UNEP/GPA News Forum
The GPA News Forum is a news and information service for the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities. As an integral part of the GPA clearing-house, the News Forum provides information on recent GPA-related activities at the national, regional, and global levels, including capacity-building opportunities, progress in key or pilot projects, and upcoming meetings, workshops, and conferences.
1998 International Year of the Ocean
For more information about the 1998 IYO, please check The NOAA Year of the Ocean Home Page and the World Wildlife Fund's special feature on Sharks in Trouble (pdf).
Aquaculture Online
Informational topics including Jobs, Technical Forum, Calendar of Events, Trade Shows, provided by the Aquaculture Division of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc.
Atlas of Tuna & Billfish Catches
Tuna and tuna-like species occur in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea. They are very important economically and a significant source of food. The Atlas presents the global distribution of catches, at 5 degrees latitude by 5 degrees longitude resolution, of those tuna and tuna-like species for which this distribution is generally well known on the global scale. These species consist of the so-called principal market tunas and some billfishes.
Bridge
An annotated metasite offering online information for marine science educators provided by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Fish Info Service (FIS/Sea-World)
Comprehensive information on fish and aquaculture industries worldwide. Topics include: companies and info by country, market prices and reports, new technology and products, weather, shipping schedules, trade shows and fairs and much more.
Forum Fisheries Agency
The FFA collects detailed information on aspects of living marine resources in the South Pacific region; evaluates and analyzes data to provide timely and accurate advice to member countries; and maintains a communication network for the dissemination of this information. Members include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Western Samoa.
Home to Ocean (H2O)
Created by Cal/EPA's Dept.of Pesticide Regulation, this site provides instructions on how to launch a public education campaign for water quality protection.
Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC)
The ISSC was formed in 1982 to foster and promote shellfish sanitation through the cooperation of state and federal control agencies, the shellfish industry, and the academic community.
"Ocean AdVENTure: From Deep Sea to Deep Space"
Visit hydrothermal vents in the sunless depths of the world's oceans and discover some of Earth's most bizarre creatures thriving in one of its strangest habitats.
Ocean and Coastal Resources: A Briefing Book
Compiled by the Congressional Research Service, a branch of the Library of Congress providing nonpartisan research reports to members of the House and Senate, and made available to the public online by the National Library for the Environment.
Oceanography Hotlist
Compiled by the Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Oceanography on the Net
A comprehensive guide to Internet resources in oceanography
Lake Tanganyika Research (LTR) Project, Africa
Operational since January 1992, this project is regional in scope, being shared by the four lake basin States of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia. It is executed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and funded by the Finnish International Development Agency (FINNIDA) and the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND). The project's scientific coordination is carried out by the University of Kuopio, Finland. 20 Field Guides/Manuals and 100 Technical Documents are available in full text on the website.
Sea Slug Forum
Produced by the Australian Museum, the recently redesigned Sea Slug Forum is an excellent resource for information on nudibranchs and related sea slugs such as bubble-shells, sea hares, and side-gilled slugs. A key feature is a lengthy species list that links to lovely photos, brief descriptions, distribution information, and related messages from the site's Forum. There is also a sizable collection of short pieces and archived forum messages on a variety of general topics, arranged alphabetically. Users can send questions and review archived messages by date or via a keyword search engine. Additional resources include suggested reading, related annotated links, and information on forum participants.
Seaweed Information Server
Links to internet resources on seaweed.
Coral Reefs
Internet Scout Project: Artificial Coral Reefs
This project's acclaimed reports and resource archive provide educators, students, researchers, and librarians with fast, convenient ways of staying informed about the most valuable online resources. Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet...and the most threatened. This Scout Report provides a collection of websites introducing artificial reefs, reef ecology, and some ongoing efforts to establish reef communities in the U.S. and beyond including habitats such as shipwrecks, old subway cars, and other structures taking the place of living coral or rocky outcrops.
Coral Bleaching -- Will Global Warming Kill the Reefs? [pdf, MS Word]
From the Australian Academy of Science, this site presents "reliable and up-to-date information" about coral reefs as part of Nova: Science in the News. Visitors will find a brief overview of the biology and environmental status of coral reefs and an explanation of the effects of global climate change on these important ecosystems. As part of an educational series on timely topics, this site provides a well-chosen selection of external links, citation information for print resources and links to coral-related classroom activities from other organizations covering a range of grade levels.
Ocean World: Coral Reefs
Texas A&M University presents this educational resource for oceanography. The feature on coral reefs has the most direct life sciences application, with easy-to-navigate sections about the coral animal, coral reefs as the rainforests of the sea, symbiosis, ecosystem services, and coral reef threats and conservation. The website also includes a handy hypertext glossary, an interactive quiz, and annotated links to other sites that provide real-time reef images and data. This site could be easily incorporated into a related classroom module for a range of grade levels although no formal lesson plans are provided.
Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
Established in 1998, the program has funded a range of research projects aimed at managing and protecting Hawaii's coral reefs. HCRI-RP is cooperatively managed by the State Division of Aquatic Resources and the University of Hawaii.
International Coral Reef Information Network-ICRIN
A communications and information project of the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN), it provides general coral reef information, tools and resources and a central coral reef communications and network hub.
International Coral Reef Action Network - ICRAN
A collective coral reef conservation and research program combining scientific, cultural, social, and economic perspectives. The variety of threats now facing coral reefs requires ICRAN's multi-faceted and complementary approach consisting of three main interlinked components: reef management, global coral reef monitoring and assessment, and communications and knowledge dissemination.
International Coral Reef Initiative - ICRI
An informal network of governments and international agencies working with scientific and conservation institutions whose goal is to improve coral reef management practices, increase political asupport for coral reef protection, and share information on the health of coral reef ecosystems.
Tropical Ocean Coral Bleaching Indices
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides this online index of "accumulated thermal stress that coral reefs experience." The overview page includes a number of geographic locations, including a Map that can be viewed by clicking on the latitude and longitude. The stress is measured in degree heating weeks ("equivalent to 1 week of sea surface temperature 1 degree C above the expected summertime maximum") and can be viewed on a corresponding color coded map. An explanation of the methodology and warning symbols can also be accessed directly from the site.
Reef Education Network
The University of Queensland's Reef Education Network (REN) includes images, information about reef research, current problems threatening coral reefs, and the many fascinating organisms that reside within a coral reef. The Life And Times section provides an overview of what a reef is, while the Ask A Brain Coral section describes the biotic and abiotic relationships that occur within reefs. A unique feature is the notebook, where students can record and organize information as they navigate throughout the site.
Corals of Oman
Having received requests for this 1995 book which is long out of print and not likely to be reprinted, author Steve Coles has provided an online fulltext version complete with color photographs and illustrations.
Aquaria/Ornamentals
Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Web Cams [QuickTime, Windows Media Player]
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Web site offers a great set of Web cams where visitors may view live footage between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Pacific Time from a penguin cam, kelp cam, otter cam, Monterey Bay cam, and outer bay cam. Site also includes pre-recorded footage of feeding shows -- a nice alternative if there is nothing happening on the live cams.
Reefs.org
Collection of excellent resources for reefkeepers including a library, newsletter, chat feature, and an extensive list of reef links.
E-Quarium
A comprehensive guide to the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, and to ocean conservation issues. Sea Otter Cam and other live cams, links to ocean information on the Web, interactive aquarium maps, a Kids E-Q with oceana games and activities, and a Seafood Watch guide to environmentally responsible dining.
Invasive Species
University of Hawaii: Hawaiian Alien Plant Studies
Includes a report prepared by Dr. Clifford W. Smith on the "Impact of Alien Plants on Hawai'i's Native Biota" with sections on terminology, ecosystem impact, problem species by island and vegetation zone and an extensive list of literature cited. There is also a list of pest plants in Hawaii with photos and brief description and a link to information on the biological control of Miconia calvescens.
Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants
The University of Florida provides this comprehensive site which includes the Aquatic, Wetland and Invasive Plant Information Retrieval System (APIRS), Aquaphyte Newsletter and a large collection of links to related resources.
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