When thinking of "human connections" with the ocean, most people would think about pollution or overfishing. But humans are also explorers and scientists, artists and writers. Explore how the ocean has influenced human culture and how you can get involved.

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

LATEST BLOG POSTS

Release Your Inner Blue Poet

Apr 11, 2013 - 10:11AMApril is National Poetry Month here in the United States. We'd like you to help us celebrate by penning a poem in the comment field below or on our Facebook page. The ocean has served as an inspiration for as long as poets have...

Underwater WWII Wrecks – Pollution or Cu...
Jan 15, 2013 - 1:26PM
2012 marked the 70th anniversary of a series of World War II battles in the...

One Fish, Two Fish: Estimating Undiscove...
Dec 20, 2012 - 12:15PM
My father once told me that the world is divided into two kinds of people:...

SPOTLIGHT

Raven Spirit: A Native American Canoe's Journey

Under a watchful raven’s eye, this handmade Tlingit canoe became a symbol of the ocean and of Alaska’s Native peoples. Over...
MORE HUMAN CONNECTIONS

AUDIO / VIDEO

  • <p><span style="line-height: 20px;">John Hildebrand discusses his research at the Scripps Whale Acoustic Lab on the FLIP platform.</span></p>

    The Whale Acoustic Lab
  • <p>Scientists on the tiny island of Moorea are gathering one of every life form large enough to pick up with tweezers in a quest to build a detailed catalog of the entire ecosystem.</p>

    The Moorea Biocode Project
  • <p>Follow an artist from inspiration to installation in this short video. It features the work in the exhibit, "<strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/when-art-meets-science-exhibition-inspired-bioluminescence">The Bright Beneath: The Luminous Art of Shih Chieh Huang</a></strong>," at the <strong><a href="http://www.mnh.si.edu/">Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History</a></strong>. Huang created the installation of light-filled, animated objects after a careful study of bioluminescent marine animals in the museum's collection. Bioluminescence is the process of producing or emitting light; many organisms use it to communicate underwater. By suspending his billowing, bright, plastic creations high in the air, Huang encourages visitors to imagine <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-videos/encounters-bioluminescent-creatures">what it might be like to encounter bioluminescent animals floating in the deep sea</a></strong>.&nbsp;</p>

    The Making of "The Bright Beneath"
  • An illustration of a giant squid (Architeuthis dux)

    Giant Squid: One Species at a Time

  • Out of the Blue, an Oceans Dance
  • Talk about tight squeezes! Safe navigation goes high-tech.

    Ship Under a Bridge
  • <p>In Washington, D.C., Chilton and other members of the Native community launch the canoe.</p>

    The Official Canoe Launch
  • a bowhead whale and her calf, seen from above

    Bowhead Whale: One Species at a Time
  • Students from the Suquamish Tribal Early College High School document the impacts of ocean acidification on the Suquamish community.

    Ocean Acidification in the Puget Sound
  • <p>Strange and luminous creatures swim in the deep waters of the dark Arctic Ocean.&nbsp; See more in the ROV footage from the Hidden Ocean 2005 Expedition.</p>

    ROV Video of Stunning Creatures
  • "How Much Oil?" describes efforts by WHOI scientists to provide the most accurate estimates of the amount of oil and gas that was entering the water from the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

    Science in a Time of Crisis: How Much Oil?
  • Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Rutgers University have researched the connection between the physical processes of the ocean and the life that lives there using a REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle.

    Exploring Ocean Life with an Underwater Vehicle
  • Smithsonian Scientists Sail the Seven Seas: Deep-Sea Research 100 years ago on the US Fisheries Steamer Albatross

    Deep-Sea Research 100 Years Ago on the US Fisheries Steamer Albatross
  • A time-lapse video of the excavation of an extinct toothed whale on a Panamanian beach.

    Excavating an Extinct Toothed Whale

IMAGE GALLERIES

  • Map of Smithsonian science research field stations

    Smithsonian Research Stations
  • Students study the effect of climate change on crabs.

    Teens Take Action on the Ocean & Climate

  • Discoveries in Australia and New Guinea
  • An oceanic whitetip shark swims near a biologist in the Bahamas.

    Image Gallery: Swimming with Sharks

  • Archaeologists Investigate an Early Whaling Community
  • A bird sits atop an outcrop of rocks surrounded by turbulent water.

    Blue on the Big Screen
  • The Baltic Sea faces challenges from pollution, algae blooms, over fishing, and invasive species.

    Biodiversity in the Baltic Sea
  • Brian Skerry prepares to dive in icy waters.

    Life in the Field as an Underwater Photographer
  • A painting of Reverend Moses Harvey of Newfoundland buying a dead giant squid caught by fishermen in 1874

    From Mermen to Architeuthis, Our Fascination with the Giant Squid
  • An underwater photo of a school of jacks and a scuba diver

    Ocean Views Award Winners, 2011
  • Robotic Glider Evades Fishing Nets

    Robotic Ocean Explorer

  • Deep Ocean Census of Marine Life
  • a wrasse cleaning a butterflyfish

    Image Gallery: The Perfect Underwater Photo
  • Scientist tagging a great white shark

    Collaborator Research

PHOTOS

  • Students Hiking at Inspiration Point

  • Raven Spirit’s Journey

  • Artist Shih Chieh Huang

  • Raven Keeps Watch over Carver

  • Portrait of Bartholomew Roberts

  • Tagging Along With Whale Sharks

  • Red Crab Migration, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean

  • Buoy Collects Data on the Open Ocean

  • Map of Early European Whaling Region

  • Curaçao

  • Ceramic Pottery Recovered from Early Whaling Community

  • Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

  • A Rainbow of Crocheted Corals

  • The Ocean of Life by Callum Roberts