Oceans

Bridge: Ocean Sciences Education Teacher Resource Center. Bridge, the Ocean Sciences Education Teacher Resource Center, is a growing collection of on-line marine education resources. It provides educators with accurate, useful, content-correct and content-current marine and data information on global, national, and regional marine science topics, and gives researchers a contact point for educational outreach. The Resource Pavilion provides links to lesson plans and curriculum units for K-12 classrooms, while the Data Port section provides links to on-line data sets, including tips on how to use these data in the classroom. Specific classroom activities using data are detailed and updated on a monthly basis. A communication section provides access to listservs and ask-a-scientist services. Ocean science information sites are linked by discipline or topic, including biology, chemistry, physics, marine geology, ecology, atmopshere, and human activities. Current on-line expeditions and event-specific activities are highlighted on the front page. ( This site may be offline. )
EPIC Web Browser: On-line access to Ocean Hydrographic and Time Series Data. This site provides on-line access to extensive ocean observations collected by NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, including hydrographic data, ocean profile data, and time series of oceanographic and near surface atmospheric parameters. The site offers catalog access, metadata, graphical displays, listings, and data download functions. ( This site may be offline. )
El Nino Theme Page: Access to Distributed Information on El Nino. This concentrated, in-depth resource provides access to recent information on El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and La Nina in the Pacific Ocean, including data, graphics, forecasts, historical perspectives, in-depth analyses, prediction benefits, impacts on human life, and information on the 1997/1999 El Nino and La Nina events. Links to relevant data include Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Project (TAO) moored buoy data, XBT data, drifting buoy data, sea level field analyses, real-time data and analyses, satellite data, climate data, numerical model simulations and Ka'Imimoana shipboard data. The site also includes 3D animations and links to theme pages in Spanish, French, and Portuguese. (more info)
IOC/IODE Ocean Teacher. The Ocean Teacher provides a training manual and resource kit for the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) program of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), which can also be used by others for self training. The training manual consists of two courses involving computer skills, marine data management, oceanographic data products, software and data formats, national data archives development and data integration; and data sets from Africa involving bathymetry, terrestrial biology, ecology, soils, geophysics, meteorology, climatology, the atmosphere, and more. The resource kit contains a range of marine data-management and information-management materials, including software, quality control and analysis strategies, training manuals, and relevant IOC documents. (more info)
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is an oceanographic research center that promotes a peer relationship between engineers and scientists. The website focuses on marine research projects at Monterey Bay, the ocean offshore, and in Hawaii. Research is featured in the web site. Viewers have access to research cruises through video cams and logbooks, buoy and satellite data, photos and video of organisms, science labs, marine technology, research vessels, ocean floor maps, a sample archive of organisms, field observations, video, and analytical data. The website also includes an interactive periodic table which shows speciation, distribution, residence time, and analytical procedures for determining concentration. The site also features lessons on plate tectonics. (more info)
NOAA El Nino Page. El Nino is a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the Tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather and climate around the globe. This webpage provides a portal to a wide array of information about El Nino. Types of information include forecasts, observations, research, animations, data, maps, and impacts. There are links to many types of educational resources such as classroom activities and projects that suit a broad range of audiences. This website also provides information about La Nina. (more info)
National Oceanographic Data Center. Together with the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), The National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) is one of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration's (NOAA) environmental data centers, serving as a national repository and dissemination facility for global ocean data. Data queries within NODC can be conducted using either a basic search engine or the prototype version of the NODC Catalog. Alternately, direct access to the NODC oceanographic data archive is available with NODC Direct. Data searches across all of NOAA's electronic archives are possible by way of the NOAA Server, the Interactive Data Access and Retrieval System (IDARS), or the National Virtual Data System. The actual Research Divisions within NODC include the Coastal Ocean Laboratory (COL), the Ocean Climate Laboratory (OCL), and the NOAA Central Library. COL data are gathered on phenomena such as plankton, chlorophyll, waves and currents, temperature, ocean profiles, salinity levels, nutrients, oxygen contents, and so forth, while the OCL provides such resources as the World Ocean Atlas, the World Ocean Database, the Biological Atlas of the Arctic Seas 2000 (online), and the Atlas of Surface Marine Data 1994. An International Activities section includes the World Data Center for Oceanography and the International Ocean Atlas Series. (more info)
Ocean Biogeographic Information System. This website is a network of systematic, ecological, and environmental information systems. Collectively, these systems operate as a dynamic, global digital atlas to communicate biological information about the ocean. Tools include: a c-squares mapper (a Perl utility) which plots dataset exents on a range of base maps, according to a string of c-squares passed to it via the web; a geographical information system designed for the storage, dissemination, integration, analysis and dynamic display of spatially referenced series of diverse oceanographic and biogeographic data; and a set of analysis tools that allow researchers to perform a variety of functions using biodiversity data. A data provider service provides a template for marine survey data; the site also provides a distributed data search for species and their geographic regions. (more info)
Ocean Explorer. With the intent to publicize information on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) major ocean exploration efforts, the Ocean Explorer Website provides a platform to follow such explorations in near real-time, learn about ocean exploration technologies, observe remote marine areas through multimedia technology, and review NOAA's 200-year history of ocean exploration. Additional NOAA resources in the Library include related links, historical books and documents, expedition reports, and journal articles significant to NOAA's historical and current ocean exploration activities. The Calendar and Projects sections provide, respectively, a descriptive schedule of upcoming explorations and information on related activities and events. (more info)
Ocean Planet: A Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition. The goal of Ocean Planet is to share with the public what recent research has revealed about the oceans and to encourage ocean conservation. Ocean Planet premiered at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History from April 1995 to April 1996. This online companion exhibition contains all of the text and most of the panel designs and images found in the traveling exhibition. Topics include global change, habitat destruction, marine pollution, marine biodiversity, hydrothermal vents, seafarers and how oceans shape their lives, food and services provided by the sea, and heroes of the sea. There are educational materials associated with Ocean Planet, including a set of lessons and marine science activities which adapt several themes of the exhibition for use in middle and high school classrooms. The site also includes profiles of professionals in oceanography and links to oceanographic information on the Internet. (more info)
Ocean Portal. Ocean Portal is a high-level directory of ocean data and information related websites. Links can be searched by category: abstracts and bibliographies, associations, commercial equipment and services, data catalogs, expertise, International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange Program (IODE) world data centers, meeting and event calendars, ocean libraries, online data servers, projects/agencies/institutes, protected areas and aquariums, publications and communications, research vessels, tools and references, and topical sites and education. (more info)
Ocean Remote Sensing: Sea Surface Temperature Imagery. This site presents rapidly processed estimates of sea surface temperature for various regions along the east coast of the United States, including the Gulf Stream, Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas. The imagery includes both single pass data and composite data from multiple passes. Included at this site is a primer on the measurement of sea surface temperature. Additional links satellite links are provided. See related links for the topics. (more info)
Oceanography from the Space Shuttle. A joint project between the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the Office of Naval Research, Oceanography from the Space Shuttle is a pictorial survey of oceanic phenomena visible to the naked eye from space. Originally published in book form in 1989, it is now only available on this web site. The chapters, preceded by a general introduction and each accompanied by an abstract and thumbnail preview images, include: The Coastal Scene, Islands, Local Winds, Waves, Ship Wakes, Pollution at Sea, Spiral Eddies, and Suloys. Several appendices further detail human observation of oceanographic phenomena from space, the photographic requirements involved, the shuttle flights that provided the images, and a list of recommended readings. A link to Goddard Distributed Active Archive Center's (DAAC) Ocean Color Data Web Site is also provided. (more info)
Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center. The Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC), an element of the Earth Observing System Data Information System (EOSDIS), is responsible for archiving and distributing data relevant to the physical state of the ocean. Most of the products available at the PO.DAAC were obtained from satellites and are intended for use in oceanographic and interdisciplinary scientific research. However, a limited number of educational products are also available. (more info)
Sea Surface Temperature Satellite Image Archive. This site provides access to the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography's archive of sea surface temperature satellite images. Images are processed Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data from NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) satellites. The archive contains in excess of 20,000 images from April 1979 to the present. New images are added to the archive daily at 10:30 GMT. During the first two years of the archive holdings, coverage is quite spotty, but subsequent years generally have several images for each day. These images clearly show the Gulf Stream as it heads up the Eastern North American coastline and out into the Atlantic Ocean. A lesson plan describing some of the uses and interpretation of the images is also included. (more info)
The National Marine Educators Association. The National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) brings together those interested in the study and enjoyment of the world of water - both fresh and salt. Affiliated with the National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, NMEA provides a valuable focus for marine and aquatic studies worldwide. Member professionals have training in Education, Science, Business, Government, Museums, Aquariums, and Marine Research. NMEA Members receive two publications: CURRENT: The Journal of Marine Education and NMEA News. Local chapters are grouped by states, which surround commonly shared bodies of water. Information is posted about the annual meeting of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA). A bulletin board service allows site browsers to make and read relevant announcements. A listserv service, Scuttlebutt, provides a forum for marine educators to communicate informally about marine education ideas, issues, and questions. There is also a scholarship program which assists members in attending the Annual Conference. Links at this site transfer to the National Ocean Sciences Bowl and the Bridge, and Ocean Sciences Education Teacher Resource Center. (more info)
The National Ocean Service. The National Ocean Service (NOS), a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is the nation's principle advocate for coastal and ocean stewardship. NOS develops the national foundation for coastal and ocean science, management, response, restoration, and navigation. The website includes descriptions of and links to the various program and staff offices which comprise NOS, as well as links to mapping sites, volunteer opportunities, tidal and current information. The education and outreach section offers an inventory of materials developed by NOS, including CD-ROMs, lesson plans, posters, and videos. (more info)
Tides Online. The National Ocean Service (NOS) Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) collects and distributes observations and predictions of water levels and currents to ensure safe, efficient and environmentally sound maritime commerce. This website contains realtime and historical, downloadable ocean level data. ( This site may be offline. )
UN Atlas of the Oceans. This portal provides information relevant to the sustainable development of the oceans. Uses of the Oceans covers ocean resources and topics such as energy, biotechnology, ocean dumping, coastal settlements, and fisheries. The Issues section discusses governance of ocean resources. About the Oceans provides information about how the oceans formed, how they change, ocean dynamics, ecology and biology of oceans, as well as monitoring the oceans. The Geography section allows users to search, through an interactive world map, all topics and knowledge entries pertaining to a geographic location. This atlas is designed for policy-makers who need to become familiar with ocean issues and for scientists, students and resource managers who need access to databases and approaches to sustainability. The UN Atlas can also provide the ocean industry and stakeholders with pertinent information on ocean matters. (more info)

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