CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY

This page contains sites pertaining to Conservation and Ecology as may be related to the keeping of aquariums, aquarium fish, ponds, etc. as a hobby and, also, as a research tool for those who may be interested in such matters.

Naturally, as we do with all information presented on this web site, we take no position on the information that appears on the followong pages explicitly or implicitly, neither endorsing nor condaning any of the content they display. It is the usual user beware situation.

Also, as on our other link pages, the sites will open another browser window on your machine, and you can return here by closing that instance of your browser.

@Sea
@Sea, an ambitious project of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution's Media Lab, provides a glimpse into our remarkable ocean world. Combining the skills of a dedicated group of media mixers, @Sea blurs the boundaries between journalism and education, computer and documentary.

Using satellite communications, digital cameras, and rugged laptops, online correspondents cover these extraordinary stories, offering an online window into life at sea and the ceaseless quest of science.
All Species Foundation
The ALL Species Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the complete inventory of all species of life on Earth within the next 25 years - a human generation.
To describe and classify all of the surviving species of the world deserves to be one of the great scientific goals of the new century. In applied science, this completion of the Linnaean enterprise is needed for effective conservation practices, and for impact studies of environmental change. In basic science, it is a key element in the maturing of ecology, including the grasp of ecosystem functioning and of evolutionary biology. It also offers an unsurpassable adventure: the exploration of a little-known planet.
Aquatic Ecology Page
Your guide to aquatic life and ecology interests on the internet.
Australia's Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism
[AUSTRALIA] Environment Australia has developed the Clearing House Information Manager to promote the exchange of information on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity.
Australian Institute of Marine Science
The Australian Institute of Marine Science, (AIMS), was established by the Commonwealth government in 1972 to generate the knowledge needed for the sustainable use and protection of the marine environment, through innovative world-class scientific and technological research.
Biodiversity and Conservation
A Hypertext Book by Peter J. Bryant School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine.
The origin, nature and value of biological diversity, the threats to its continued existence, and approaches to preserving what is left.
Of particular interest may be Chapter 9, Exotic Introductions. Biodiversity Support Program
Promoting conservation of the world's biological diversity.
We believe that a healthy and secure living resource is essential to meeting the needs and aspirations of future generations.
The publications on this website represent the accumulated knowledge, lessons and tools from over a decade of work by the Biodiversity Support Program (BSP).
Center for Biodiversity and Conservation
Studying the immense variety of life on the planet and the complex relations among living thingsówhat we now call biodiversityóhas been a fundamental activity of the American Museum of Natural History since its founding. In 1993, responding to concern among its scientists over rapid species loss and increasing environmental degradation around the world, the Museum created the interdisciplinary Center for Biodiversity and Conservation.
Commercial Shark Fishery Observer Program
The Commercial Shark Fishery Observer Program (CSFOP) is a cooperative effort of the Florida Museum of Natural History and the fishers of the United States Atlantic commercial shark fishery. Historically supported by grants from two U.S. Department of Commerce funding programs, Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) and Saltonstall-Kennedy (SK), and by the Highly Migratory Species division of the National Marine Fisheries Service, the CSFOP places fishery observers on cooperating commercial shark fishing vessels to observe the composition and disposition of the catch and by-catch. Monitoring of the southeastern United States shark fishery began in January 1994 and funding is in place through the summer of 2001.
Conservation International
Conservation International believes that the Earth's natural heritage must be maintained if future generations are to thrive spiritually, culturally, and economically. Our mission is to conserve the Earth's living natural heritage, our global biodiversity, and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmonioously with nature.
Coral Bleaching Indices
The NOAA satellite-derived Degree Heating Week (DHW) is an experimental product designed to indicate the accumulated thermal stress that coral reefs experience. A DHW is equivalent to 1 week of sea surface temperature 1 deg C above the expected summertime maximum. For example, 2 DHWs indicate 1 week of 2 deg C above the expected summertime maximum. We have observed that DHWs of 10+ have been accompanied by severe bleaching and often mortality.
Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests (CRIMP)
The CSIRO Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests (CRIMP) is Australia's national centre for research on the impacts and management of introduced marine species.
Convention on Biological Diversity
In 1992, the largest-ever meeting of world leaders took place at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. An historic set of agreements was signed at the "Earth Summit", including two binding agreements, the Convention on Climate Change, which targets industrial and other emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, and the Convention on Biological Diversity, the first global agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The biodiversity treaty gained rapid and widespread acceptance. Over 150 governments signed the document at the Rio conference, and since then more than 175 countries have ratified the agreement.
Database on Introductions of Aquatic Species (DIAS)
The FAO database on introductions of aquatic species was initiated by R. Welcomme in the early 1980's. It considered primarily only freshwater species of fish and formed the basis for the 1988 FAO Fisheries Technical Paper no. 294. The database has been expanded to include additional taxa, such as molluscs and crustaceans, and marine species. In the mid 1990's a questionnaire was sent to national experts to gather additional information on introductions and transfers of aquatic species in their countries. The database, which contains now about 3,150 records, can be queried through the Search Form. Users aware of other introductions of aquatic species not already included in the database or that have additional information on the records in the database are requested to fill in the Input Form. Periodically this information will be validated and added to the database.
Eco-Index
A searchable almanac of current and past conservation projects in Mesoamerica, with project descriptions, goals, achievements, lessons learned, and more. Available in English and Spanish.
The Endangered Species Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
EarthTrends: The Environmental Information Portal
Access ten databases, two directly dealing with water and aquatic environments.
Eco-Portal - The EnvironmentalSustainability.Info Source
A portal to all kinds of environmental news, and web sites. Apparently European in origin, though it contains much information from the USA.
EcoServe
[Ireland] EcoServe - a company providing technical environmental services, including impact and nature conservation assessment, ecotoxicology, monitoring, evaluation and authoritative analysis, interpretation and management of computerised data, with specialisation in marine and freshwater systems. (Dublin, Ireland.)
The Endangered Species Program
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: The Endangered Species Program ...working to conserve and restore endangered and threatened species and the ecosystems upon which we depend.
Environmental Fate DataBase
Five databases dealing with chemicals and their effect, or non-effect on the environment. Support provided by the EPA, Proctor & Gamble and Dupont.
Environmental News Network
Since 1993, the Environmental News Network has been working to educate the world about environmental issues facing our Earth. We began as a monthly print publication, called Environmental News Briefing, and two years later discovered the Internet as an effective means of reaching a broader, more diverse audience.
Our modest print beginnings have led to a multi-faceted web production. Today we not only offer timely environmental news, but live chats, interactive quizzes, daily feature stories, forums for debate, audio, video and more. These components are all aimed at educating our users about the major issues, while at the same time giving them the tools to make a difference in their own community. We are not an activist publication, but instead try to present information from all sides so our users can make their own decisions.
Invasive Species Specialist Group
The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) is part of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The ISSG is a global group of 146 scientific and policy experts on invasive species from 41 countries. Membership is by invitation from the group chair, but everyone's participation in the discussion on invasives is encouraged. In addition, to its headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand, ISSG has three regional sections in North America, Europe, and South Asia.
Issues in Ecology
Issues in Ecology is designed to report, in language understandable by non-scientists, the consensus of a panel of scientific experts on issues relevent to the environment. Issues in Ecology is supported by the Pew Scholars in Conservation Biology Program and the Ecological Society of America. All reports undergo peer review and must be approved by the editorial board before publication. No responsibility for the views expressed by authors in ESA publications is assumed by the editors or the publisher, the Ecological Society of America. Available in text and .pdf formats.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
IUCN - The World Conservation Union, through its Species Survival Commission (SSC) has for four decades been assessing the conservation status of species, subspecies, varieties and even selected subpopulations on a global scale in order to highlight taxa threatened with extinction, and therefore promote their conservation. Although today we are operating in a very different political, economic, social and ecological world from that when the first IUCN Red Data Book was produced, the SSC remains firmly committed to providing the world with the most objective, scientifically-based information on the current status of globally threatened biodiversity. The taxa assessed for the IUCN Red List are the bearers of genetic diversity and the building blocks of ecosystems, and information on their conservation status and distribution provides the foundation for making informed decisions about preserving biodiversity at local to global levels.
Living Machines, Inc.
[USA] As we move into the next century and the world population exceeds 6 billion, all of us need to develop ways to work with nature to conserve and recycle natural resources. Inspired by ecosystems as old as the earth itself, Living Machines, Inc. designs and builds Living Machines®, revolutionary natural wastewater treatment systems that accelerate natures own water purification process. (Taos, New Mexico.)
Local Drinking Water Information
Each year by July 1 you should receive in the mail a short report (consumer confidence report) from your water supplier that tells where your water comes from and what's in it -- see if your report is posted on-line or read a fact sheet about these new reports.
The Marine & Coastal Community Network
[AUSTRALIA] Are you concerned about the future of our marine and coastal environment? This website provides you with information on issues that are affecting our Australian coasts and ocean.
Marine Stocks at Risk of Extinction
The first-ever list of marine fish stocks and species at risk of extinction (MSRE) identifies 82 species or populations vulnerable, threatened, or endangered in North American waters. Twenty-two species are categorized as vulnerable, threatened, or endangered to global extinction. The status of these organisms was determined by applying risk criteria developed from peer-reviewed knowledge and expert scientific opinion. These criteria are (1.)rarity, (2.)small range and endemics, (3.)specialized habitat requirements, and (4.)population resilience to decline. Most stocks face more than one risk factor, but life history limitations such as low or very low reproductive capacity are most important. Habitat degradation follows as the second most important risk factor. This list is regarded as the starting point for applying these criteria to marine stocks rather than the end result.
NASA Oceanography
At NASA we recognize that it may not be intuitively obvious what role a space agency can play in exploring our oceans. This web page will tell you our story.
As a technology organization utilizing the unique vantage-point from space, NASA Oceanography conducts a program of satellite missions and research projects with its partners to enable global ocean science.
(Patience or a broadband connection are needed with this site.)
National Reconnaissance of Emerging Contaminants
[USA] The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has implemented a national reconnaissance to provide baseline information on the potential environmental occurrence of select "emerging contaminants" (such as human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, industrial and household wastewater products, and sex and steroidal hormones) in streams. During 1999, a network of 100 stream sites was sampled representing a wide variety of geographical and hydrogeological settings. The streams sampled represent basins that fall into four general categories: intense urban activities, intense livestock production, mixed land use, and control. The size of the drainage basins ranges from <1 to 1,125,300 square miles. The sampling points are located in 24 states across the country (AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, GA, IA, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, OH, OK, PA, TX, UT, WA, WI). An additional 55 sites (AZ, CA, FL, IA, ID, MA, MN, MT, NV, NY, OR, SD, VA, WA) were sampled in 2000 to confirm and expand results from the initial 100 sites.
The Native Fish Conservancy
We are a 501c nonprofit organization committed to the study, keeping, preservation, and public education of native fish. We are currently only working in North America. Our members come from all walks of life, amateur and professional, to join in a friendly atmosphere of learning, sharing experiences, and participating in conservation programs. If you have an interest in fishing, keeping native fish or conservation in general, then there is a place for you in the NFC. Help us as we strive to preserve our continent's natural heritage.
Pacific Northwest Coastal Ecosystems Regional Study (PNCERS)
The Pacific Northwest Coastal Ecosystems Regional Study (PNCERS) is a research and outreach program based on coastal management issues and needs. We are sponsoring studies of the nearshore and estuarine ecosystems of the Pacific Coast between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Cape Mendocino. Our intention is to help users and managers of coastal resources better understand how coastal ecosystems in the region respond to natural variability of the ocean and atmosphere and to effects of human activities.
Regional Biological Invasion Center
Regional Biological Invasions Center (RBIC) is an inter-institutional program for research on biology, impacts and management of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species in the North-West Russia and adjacent areas in Europe. The RIBC includes five related subprograms with their specific objectives and participants. The Internet resources for RIBC are provided by the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg.
Species at Risk [CANADA]
[CANADA] (Site available in English or French.) The purpose of this Web site is to provide information about species at risk in Canada. You can search for information by chosing either a map search, or a species search (by risk category, range, latin name and common name).
The status of these species is assigned by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) which is a committee of representatives from federal, provincial, territorial and non-governmental environmental agencies as well as independent experts. Once the status of a species is established, conservation efforts for endangered, threatened or extirpated species are then implemented by RENEW (the National Recovery Program).
The Tides and Inflows in the Mangroves of the Everglades (TIME)
The Tides and Inflows in the Mangroves of the Everglades (TIME) project of the USGS South Florida Ecosystem Program is a joint research effort to investigate the interacting effects of freshwater inflows and tidal forces in and along the mangrove ecotone of south Florida. The purpose of this web site is to provide an efficient mechanism for scientists collaborating in the TIME project to readily share information and disseminate findings to other researchers. Participation in this web site is welcome by all scientists having a need or desire to share information about their project efforts and findings. Links to additional sites of interest describing other ongoing scientific efforts in south Florida are also provided.
Water Hyacinth Presence in Water Bodies of Various Developing Countries
This is a slide show that shows what may happen when a foreign species is introduced into local waters.
Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology
Information from the USGS on about the coast (US) geology.
Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory
The Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory (WBL) is a research unit within the Soil and Water Science Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. The WBL promotes teaching, research and outreach activities on biogeochemical processes regulating the fate and transport of nutrients, metals, and toxic organics in wetland and aquatic ecosystems.
The Wild Salmon Center
Founded in 1992, the Wild Salmon Center is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Pacific salmon, steelhead, char and trout stocks and their ecosystems. We are committed to identifying the last, best Pacific salmon habitat and devising practical and scientifically-sound strategies to protect forever these extraordinary places and their biodiversity.
Wisconsin Sea Grant
Welcome to the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Web site, a rich resource of Great Lakes information. Wisconsin Sea Grant is a statewide program of basic and applied research, education, and outreach and technology transfer dedicated to the stewardship and sustainable use of the nation's Great Lakes and ocean resources.
World Atlas of Biodiversity
An online mapping program showing various aspects of biodiversity in the world based on criteria you select.
World Biodiversity Database
ETI's World Biodiversity Database is a continuously growing taxonomic database and information system that aims at documenting all presently known species (about 1.7 million) and to make this important biological information worldwide accessible. Access to this online information system is free of charge for noncommercial use: scientific and educational purposes.
WWF = The Conservation Organization
Since its inception in 1961, WWF has worked to conserve nature and ecological processes.
It has done this through a combination of action on the ground, national and international advocacy work to establish appropriate policies, and international campaigns to highlight and demonstrate solutions to crucial environmental problems.



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Last updated 6 March 2005.
Maintained by Steve Szabo