Current Events

  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

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    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

Table of Ocean Creatures

Click for full size
Invertebrates Fish Mammals
Crabs Sharks Seals
Cnidarians Rays Whales
Echinoderms Goat-fish Dolphins
Other Crustaceans Butterflyfish Manatees
Molluscs Eels Otters
Worms Weirdos

Plankton

Scientists Discover Fish that Talk

Atlantic Coral Reefs Are No Match for This Lion

Podcast about Coral Reefs

Resources for Teaching about Oil Spills

Back to ocean life

Last modified June 1, 2010 by Lisa Gardiner.

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Crabs

Crabs are in the Crustacean phylum, which means they have hard exoskeletons that protect the soft body underneath. They also have sharp claws for battling predators and grabbing prey. There are many species...more

Sharks

For some reason, sharks have the reputation of being the "bad boy" of the sea. Movies such as Jaws give the impression that sharks are killing machines, eating everything in their sights. But only a few...more

Seals

Seals are carnivorous animals that live partly in the ocean and partly on land. Most seals come on land to mate and to moult (shed their hair). But, seals can live up to 90% of their life in the water....more

Cnidarians

The Cnidaria phylum consists of animals with stinging cells called cnidoblasts. This includes corals, jellyfish, anemones and hydroids. Cnidarians do not have a head, and commonly look like a flower. The...more

Rays

The sea rays are probably the most mysterious creatures of the ocean. Many have soft, widely spanned bodies that flow through the water like silk. They have a variety of appetites--some enjoy corals,...more

Whales

Whales, like dolphins, are part of the Cetacea order. The name Cetacea comes from the Latin 'cetus', which means large marine creature or sea monster! But, whales are no danger to people... Actually, it...more

Echinoderms

The most widely known echinoderm is the sea star, or starfish. But the echinoderm phylum also includes sea urchins, sea lilies and brittle stars. The echinoderms are very well known, but most people actually...more

Goatfish

The Mullidae family is more commonly known as the Goatfish. These special fish have the unique ability to change colors! They find their homes in coral reefs, sand or possibly seagrass. The Goatfish range...more

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