The Marine Life Encyclopedia: An Excellent Classroom Resource

The website I chose which would be extremely useful and relevant in my classroom is the Marine Life Encyclopedia. The institution that supports this website is Oceana, an international organization focused on the preservation of our oceans. Because their goal is to inform as many people as possible and to get them involved in their cause, there is a plethora of options to stay in contact with the organization, such as email, newsletters social media. It is quite obvious from the website where Oceana stands on the political/social issue of oceanic/environmental conservation. It would therefore be important to remind the students that this website has been designed by a specific group for a specific purpose, that being to inform people about our species' affects on the oceans and its wildlife. Therefore, although it is an excellent resource filled with many facts, other resources should also be considered that might present a different point of view. This website would be extremely useful not only when discussing marine life and habitats, but also when discussing issues such as climate change, evolution, and environmental protection. It classifies and categorizes the various types of marine life based on criteria such as physical features or environmental habitat, allowing students to think critically about the differences between the different types of marine life and how/why those differences might have arose. While many websites are designed for either a younger audience and therefore excludes more abstract or complex information or an older audience and therefore includes information that might be too difficult to fully understand, this website seems like it'd be a perfect fit for a high school biology class. There is just the right mixture of engaging high definition images and useful, well thought out information. Because it is an active organization, the website seems to be up to date with the latest statistics and information in order to best inform the reader. Overall, I think that Oceana's website is an excellent resource for high school biology students, and I really found it to be both interesting and informative.