Animal Alert
http://animal.discovery.com/news/news.html
This Web site from Animal Planet offers visitors the very latest news about animals around the globe. Scroll along the map of the world, and then click on an icon. A pop-up window will appear with a synopsis of a news story, a link to the full story, and a list of related features on the Animal Planet Web site. A key to the map icons is provided. The full news story page also provides general information and trivia about each animal. This is a great resource for anyone wishing to keep informed about animal-related current events without having to register for an email newsletter. [RS]
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Marine Flatworms of the World [.pdf]
http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~bu6/index.html
This frequently updated Web site, individually hosted by Wolfgang Seifarth, is devoted to the study of polyclad flatworms, the free-living marine flatworms primarily found in tropical coral reefs. This comprehensive site describes every characteristic of this beautiful worm order -- phylogeny, anatomy, natural history, distribution, and much more. If you're of the opinion that all worms are impossibly disgusting, click on Marine Flatworms to view a collection of polyclad worm photos from around the globe; it should change your mind. Although not closely related to flatworms, the Web site features an extensive image gallery of colorful nudibranchs (aquatic slugs) that's also well worth the visit. This Web site also contains a Photo of the Week page and a list of marine biology and diving links. [RS]
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MEDLINEplus in Spanish
http://medlineplus.gov/esp/
MEDLINEplus, the National Library of Medicine's free health Web site is now available in Spanish. Spanish-speaking Americans can now access real-time health information from the National Institutes of Health and other credible medical agencies. Current features include interactive health tutorials covering medical procedures, surgeries, and disease, a full-color medical encyclopedia, and more. Additionally, each page of this Web site contains a link to its corresponding English-language page, and vice versa, which non-Spanish-speaking doctors and other medical professionals could use to facilitate communication with their patients. Some of the features currently available at the English-language site are not yet available in Spanish. [RS]
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Disposable Planet [RealPlayer]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2002/disposable_planet/
BBC Online presents this six-part special on sustainable development. Created in anticipation of the now concluded Johannesburg Summit, this Web site provides a valuable resource for viewers wishing to learn more about sustainable development and related issues. The Web site consists of an overview and six sections: Population, Food, Cities, Waste, Tourism, and Energy. The sections offer an in-depth look at each topic and include audio clips of related interviews and news stories. The discussion forums are now closed, but visitors may read the occasionally insightful and often times heated comments that have already been posted. View the slide show to get a quick, visceral sense of human impact on the planet -- past, present, and future. Visitors may also take a quiz to calculate their ecological footprint, or how much of the earth's resources they individually consume each year. [RS]
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Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program [Media Player, QuickTime]
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/sorac.asp
This Web site from the Monterey Bay Aquarium presents users with a complete overview of its Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program. Visitors learn about the research conducted at the aquarium, and how it contributes to the conservation of the threatened southern sea otter. The site shows how stranded otters are rescued, rehabilitated, and released back into the bay. It also includes a variety of fun features, such as a live Otter Cam; activities for kids; and a video clip of Mae, a rescued pup. Information on this Web site is concise and well-presented, and includes excellent links and resources. [RS]
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NOVA: Killer Disease on Campus [Flash, QuickTime, RealPlayer]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/meningitis/
The online companion to the recently-aired NOVA documentary from PBS, this Web site addresses the alarming rise in the incidence of meningococcal disease in the past ten years, especially on college campuses. The site's main features include a young woman's story about her battle with the disease, an animated depiction of how meningococcal bacteria attack the human body, an interview with the documentary's producer, and a virtual lab where users can create six vaccines using different techniques. The Web site also contains FAQs, useful links, a teacher's guide, a transcript of the program, and more. This is a polished Web site with fantastic multimedia features. [RS]
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GreenHouse Gas Online [.pdf]
http://www.ghgonline.org./
Keep current with global warming issues with this Web site created by greenhouse gas scientist Dave Reay. GreenHouse Gas Online offers current and archived articles from newspapers and peer-reviewed journals around the world. Only journal articles with freely available abstracts are included. The latest general news and journal articles can be found listed by title on the site's main page, while links to topic-specific material are provided in a side bar. The news and journal archives contain material from 2001 and 2002. Those already interested in and familiar with global warming issues should find this Web site of great use. Students working on related papers or projects would also benefit from this convenient online resource. [RS]
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HortiPlex [.jpeg, QuickTime]
http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/
Hortiplex, part of the online gardening forum GardenWeb, is an easy-to-use database of plant names. Regularly updated and ever expanding, this database offers gardeners a way to find relevant information about plants "without having to sift through a lot of chaff." Search by common or Latin name to find every instance of that name in the database, along with botanical information, images, and seed sources. Not every plant listing offers the full array of links at this time. This would be an especially useful resource for those trying to locate or remember the name of a particular horticultural variety. HortiPlex plans to "add plant patent links, links to botanical garden collections, pronunciation guides, and ever greater numbers of plant listings, images and links." Even as a work-in-progress, gardeners should find this site quite useful. [RS]
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