The Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University discusses its goals to understand human's impacts on the Earth and to teach students how to maintain the environment at this website. The Research Divisions and Centers link introduces the School's three main research groups: Coastal Systems Science and Policy, Earth and Ocean Sciences, and Environmental Sciences and...

The National Institute of Polar Research introduces its comprehensive polar research and administration of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions (JARE) at this website. Users can view data, satellite and photographic images, and descriptions of the Institute's many upper atmosphere physics, meteorology, geology, geomorphology, and oceanography investigations. The site describes the...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) CoastWatch program provides near real-time satellite observations and in-situ Great Lakes data. Visitors can view AVHRR imagery, contour maps, GOES imagery, and other Great Lakes data imagery. The website offers data on the physical characteristics of the Great Lakes as well as data on the average surface water temperature and current...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recently updated its Education Resources website, and there are some fine changes worth nothing. One in particular is the updated section on climate. First-time visitors will note that the materials here are divided into five sections, which include Real World Data and Background Information. Educators will find that the homepage...

The NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL) presents its weather, climate, and air quality investigations. Visitors can discover ETL's theoretical and field observations and sensor and model developments to address complex environmental issues. The website provides detailed descriptions of the Study of Environmental Artic Change (SEARCH), the Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean Experiment (RICO)...

The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) works with a range of public sector and industry partners to "conduct innovative research on the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes" in order to produce information for resource use and management decisions. From its homepage, visitors can explore the CoastWatch program which includes large data sets about the Great...

This website presents the results of the analysis of Great Lakes ice charts dating back to 1960. After learning about the methods used to produce this online atlas, users can view the original ice charts. Researchers can find data on first ice, last ice, ice duration, and other ice related statistics. Students and educators can learn about variations in ice cover through the animations of ice...

From Monterey to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the United States has a coterie of marine sanctuaries and habitats that are quite rich in their diversity of marine life. Teachers will particularly appreciate the National Marine Sanctuaries Education site as it offers up a number of instructional materials for use in the classroom, including lesson plans and video clips. Much of this material...

While people may have heard of the National Sea Grant program, they might not be entirely sure what their mission is. The Sea Grant program is a "nationwide network of 32 university-based programs that work with coastal communities." Additionally, the Sea Grant College Program draws on these university programs to conduct scientific research, education, training, and extension projects. One very...

The study of paleoclimatology is an activity that goes on all around the world, in large part because such a vast undertaking entails collecting scientific data from many different sites. As such, this site has a great deal to offer both scientists working in the field and the layperson who may be interested in learning more about the world of paleoclimatology. One area that may be of particular...