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World on the Web: Webbed Feet

by Sierra Club Webmaster John Kealy

One way to immerse yourself in the sea without getting wet is to surf the huge variety of Web sites devoted to marine issues.

SeaWeb (www.seaweb.org) is one of the best marine-education sites on the Web. It covers a plethora of issues, from salmon farming to the effects of naval sonar tests on humpback whales near Hawaii. This evenhanded, informative site includes a monthly newsletter about ocean-conservation issues.

For pure science, cruise by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (www.whoi.edu). Don't be put off by its utilitarian layout; here you'll find captivating information about the organization's exotic research projects. The site includes online access to the institution's library and plenty of links to other oceanographic sites. At Florida's Mote Marine Laboratory site (www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us), you'll find shocking data about red tides along with more encouraging reports on the rehabilitation of sea turtles and marine mammals.

Ocean activists make good use of the Web. The Surfrider Foundation (www.surfrider.org) offers timely coastal conservation updates and stays true to its surfer origins by posting daily beach and surf reports from around the country.

These sites will help you understand and appreciate what lurks beneath the surface. Consider them the online equivalent of a mask and snorkel, and dive in.

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