United Nations Launches Online Ocean Atlas

The United Nations has launched an online atlas of the oceans at http://www.oceansatlas.org/index.jsp . There are headlines on the front page and several ways to navigate the atlas.

By clicking on "Uses" under "Navigate the Atlas" you'll get links to Ocean news as well as subtopics ranging from Energy to Marine Biotechnology to Offshore Oil, Gas, and Mining. Click on the i beside a topic or the topic name and you'll get an overview of the topic with sub-topics for that topic. Each sub-topic has its own small introduction and possibly more sub-topics in the column on the left.

"Issues" is set up much the same way, as is "About." But Geography is different. Geography has topics based on countries/continents with a couple of exceptions (FAO fishing areas, marine areas.) Unfortunately it's still under development and there's not much available.

In addition to the features described the new atlas also has a link to the FAO Fisheries glossary (quick! Use "Isotherm" in a sentence! Isotherm time today I've had to get the cat off the fridge.) and an unfortunately under development (empty) gallery of images. This'll be worth more looking through when it's more complete, worth a brief look now.

Posted to Science-Oceanography