Books, Film & The Arts

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LATEST TODAY'S CATCH

Adélie Penguins Face Off

Apr 15, 2013 - 10:25AMThese cute Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) are actually having a bit of a spat. In the spring (October for them), the penguins form breeding colonies on rocky coasts with thousands of birds in a group. Krill, a tiny...

Harp Seal, Prince Edward Island National Park, Canada
Apr 3, 2013 - 9:04AM
Harp seals are protected in the United States by the Marine Mammal...

Grey Reef Shark, West New Britain, Father Reefs, Papua New Guinea
Mar 28, 2013 - 9:45AM
Gray reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) are known for being active at...

SPOTLIGHT

Five Questions for Callum Roberts, Author and Professor

Callum Roberts is a professor of marine conservation at the University of York in England and an author. His first book,...
X-Ray Image of a Winghead Shark
Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
The distinctive form of a winghead shark, Eusphyra blochii, is revealed by an X-ray image. The shark's eyes are spread far apart, giving it superb binocular vision.
Harp Seal, Prince Edward Island National Park, Canada
Apr 3 2013 - 9:04am
Harp seals are protected in the United States by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Although they are not considered endangered, as sea ice melting earlier and earlier each year, available harp seal breeding grounds are being lost in the North Atlantic and Arctic. 
Grey Seal Strikes a Pose
Jun 29 2012 - 8:42pm
A Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) poses in the waters off Acadia National Park in Maine. Grey seals live on both coasts of the Northern Atlantic, with breeding colonies in Great Britain, Ireland, and down the eastern coast of North America from Canada down to New Jersey. They used to be hunted in...
X-Ray Image of a Long-Spined Porcupine Fish
Feb 6 2012 - 6:58pm
The robust oval, spine covered body of a long-spined porcupine fish, Diodon holocanthus, is revealed in this X-ray image. Scientists in the Division of Fishes at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History use X-ray images, like the one shown, to study the complex...
Protected Pigfish and Mao-Mao School
Mar 13 2013 - 7:21am
Red Pigfish (Bodianus unimaculatus) and Blue Mao-Mao (Scorpis violacea) school at the edge of a cavern in New Zealand's Poor Knights Islands. Read photographer Brian Skerry's story behind this photo on the Ocean Portal blog.
Ray Bradbury and the Sea
Jun 6 2012 - 1:01pm
Today Ray Bradbury died. It might seem strange that I'm writing about Bradbury here on the Ocean Portal, as he's best known for his short stories about space exploration and strange aliens. But he also considered the unexplored realms of our own planet: the ocean.
The No-Seafood Grill 2050
The No-Seafood Grill 2050
Dec 4 2009 - 11:48am
What will a restaurant visit be like if our fish supply becomes even more depleted? This public service announcement is a dramatic example of what the "catch of the day" might be if fisheries continue to be exploited.  Find out more about the ocean's fisheries and what impacts it has on your...
Ocean Reading
May 26 2011 - 11:07am
Fiction or non-fiction, short or epic...what are your favorite books about the ocean?
Sunset at Ecola State Park, Near Cannon Beach, Ore., USA
Dec 23 2010 - 2:45pm
The receding tide left a multitude of starfish in tide pools clinging to exposed rocks along the shore. The rich hues matched the colors of the setting sun against the textures of the rocky beach.” -- Nature's Best photographer, David E. Becker. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow...
a photograph of a bioluminescent squid at Sunset Reef Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Ocean Views from Nature's Best Photos
Dec 23 2010 - 1:40pm
The winners of the 2010 Nature's Best Photography Ocean Views Contest are a stunning sample of marine wildlife and ocean vistas from around the globe. The 2011 contest is open to photographers of all levels through January 5, 2011, and winners will be published in the Spring/Summer 2011 edition of...
X-Ray Image of Grooved Razorfish
Dec 5 2012 - 11:09am
An X-ray image of grooved razorfish, Centriscus scutatus. Razorfish are encased in thin, transparent bony plates attached to their spines, which you can see in the X-ray.
Texas State Aquarium Delegation
Feb 7 2011 - 8:09pm
What can students do to help the ocean? It turns out, a lot! These students from Texas are among dozens from the U.S. and Mexico who are developing action plans on ocean and climate-related issues in their local communities. They’re getting advice from their teachers and experts at aquariums and...
Whale on Camera
Mar 21 2011 - 4:41pm
A still from Where the Whales Sing, part of the 19th Annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital.
Face to Face with a Tiger Shark
May 25 2012 - 1:09pm
What would you do if you came face to face with a shark? Brian Skerry lives for these moments and is ready with his camera. Here he is seen photographing a large tiger shark on the seafloor near the Bahamas. Read more about Life in the Field with Brian Skerry. 
Robinson Crusoe Cover Painting by N.C. Wyeth
Jul 27 2010 - 5:59pm
Dampier is credited with helping to rescue Alexander Selkirk, the privateer who inspired the Robinson Crusoe story.
Chinook Salmon: One Species at a Time
Jul 11 2011 - 2:17pm
Can painted wooden fish on a schoolyard fence change human behavior and help clean up the ocean for the real salmon? Stream of Dreams in British Columbia thinks so, and a lot of wooden fish and some 100,000 school kids later, they have some intriguing results to show for their effort.