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Spotlight

Note: These are 360° videos — press and hold to explore them!

What can I do to protect coral reefs? (NOAA)
What You Can Do (Coral.org)

Pages

Terrestrial (Earth)
Sphere Land, Ice, Water (Ocean), Air, Life (Cell, Gene, Microscope)
Ecosystem Forest, Grassland, Desert, Arctic, Aquatic

Tree of Life
Microorganism
Plant Flower, Tree
Animal
Invertebrate Octopus, Ant, Bee, Butterfly, Spider, Lobster
Vertebrate Fish, Seahorse, Ray, Shark, Frog, Turtle, Tortoise, Dinosaur
Bird, Ostrich, Owl, Crow, Parrot
Mammal Bat, Rabbit, Giraffe, Camel, Horse, Elephant, Mammoth
Whale, Dolphin, Walrus, Seal, Polar Bear, Bear, Cat, Tiger, Lion, Dog, Wolf
Monkey, Chimpanzee, Human

Resources

These are organized by a classification scheme developed exclusively for Cosma. More…

General

Dictionary

aquatic : growing or living in or frequenting water — Webster

OneLook, Free Dictionary, Wiktionary, Urban Dictionary

Encyclopedia

Aquatic ecosystem An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem in a body of water. Communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment live in aquatic ecosystems. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems. — Wikipedia

Encyclopædia Britannica

Introduction

The Aquatic Biome (World’s Biomes, University of California Museum of Paleontology)
Aquatic Ecosystems (National Geographic)

Science

Marine biology is the scientific study of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on taxonomy.

A large proportion of all life on Earth lives in the ocean. The exact size of this large proportion is unknown, since many ocean species are still to be discovered. The ocean is a complex three-dimensional world covering approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface. The habitats studied in marine biology include everything from the tiny layers of surface water in which organisms and abiotic items may be trapped in surface tension between the ocean and atmosphere, to the depths of the oceanic trenches, sometimes 10,000 meters or more beneath the surface of the ocean. Specific habitats include coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass meadows, the surrounds of seamounts and thermal vents, tidepools, muddy, sandy and rocky bottoms, and the open ocean (pelagic) zone, where solid objects are rare and the surface of the water is the only visible boundary. The organisms studied range from microscopic phytoplankton and zooplankton to huge cetaceans (whales) 25–32 meters (82–105 feet) in length. Marine ecology is the study of how marine organisms interact with each other and the environment. — Wikipedia

Encyclopædia Britannica

Preservation

Note: This is a 360° Video — press and hold to explore it!

History

The Ocean Through Time (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History)
Life on Planet Ocean (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History)

Library

WorldCat, Library of Congress, UPenn Online Books, Open Library

Participation

Education

The otherworldly creatures in the ocean’s deepest depths (Lidia Lins, TED-Ed)

Course

OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Community

Government

Document

USA.gov

Adventure

Here are links to the five destinations mentioned in the video.
1 Utter Inn (Västerås, Sweden)
2 Atlantis – The Palm (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
3 The Manata Resort (Psv-zanzibar, Tanzania)
4 Jules’ Undersea Loadge (Key Largo, Florida)
5 The Muraka (Rangali Island, Maldives)

More…

Sea Life News -- ScienceDaily Current events articles in marine biology and science. From beached whales to coral reef bleaching, learn what is happening in today's oceans.

Polar bear diet may indicate prey distribution...
on October 27, 2021 at 4:20 pm
How are warming temperatures and a loss of sea ice affecting polar bears and their marine mammal prey in the Arctic? A York University-led research team used a novel approach to the question by monitoring what polar bears eat across Nunavut and where they are catching their prey.
The nutritional value of giant kelp decreases as...
on October 26, 2021 at 7:33 pm
As a foundational species, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) is vital to the ecosystem of the temperate, shallow, nearshore waters where it grows. When the kelp flourishes, so do the communities that rely on the fast-growing species for food and shelter.
Rapid echolocation helps toothed whales capture...
on October 26, 2021 at 4:43 pm
Whales use a combination of rapid echolocation adjustments and nimble brain responses to zero in on fast-moving prey, suggests a new study.
Discovery of new tiny fish, lizard species
on October 22, 2021 at 1:41 pm
Two tiny new species that inhabited part of what is now the American south some 100 million years ago have been discovered by paleontologists.
Fungal outbreak in marine mammals began on land
on October 21, 2021 at 9:51 pm
A study explores how human-caused changes on land can affect aquatic animals, specifically in the case of the fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus gattii.

Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.

How a deadly land fungus began killing marine...
on October 21, 2021 at 8:25 pm
In the early 2000s, a fungus infected hundreds of animals and people in British Columbia and Washington State. Scientists found that the disease also killed porpoises and dolphins in the Salish Sea—perhaps affecting cetaceans even earlier than people.
Anglers need tailored messaging to inspire action...
on October 18, 2021 at 3:01 pm
Once aquatic invasive species establish, they typically refuse to budge. That's why it's critical to prevent invasive quagga mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, and other bad actors from getting established in the first place.
Clues emerge: How harmless bacteria go rogue...
on October 14, 2021 at 6:14 pm
For bacteria, like people, lifestyle matters.
After two hours, sunscreen that includes zinc...
on October 14, 2021 at 7:48 am
Sunscreen that includes zinc oxide, a common ingredient, loses much of its effectiveness and becomes toxic after two hours of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, according to a collaboration that included Oregon State University scientists.
Team discovers invasive-native crayfish hybrids...
on October 8, 2021 at 7:24 am
In a study of crayfish in the Current River in southeastern Missouri, researchers discovered—almost by chance—that the virile crayfish, Faxonius virilis, was interbreeding with a native crayfish, potentially altering the native's genetics, life history and ecology. Reported in the journal Aquatic Invasions, the study highlights the difficulty of detecting some of the consequences of biological invasions, the researchers say.