Books, Film & The Arts

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

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,...
Leatherback Sea Turtle, Playa Grande, Costa Rica
Dec 23 2010 - 3:05pm
“Leatherback turtles are critically endangered, and this young hatchling is a symbol of hope for their future.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Jason Bradley. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Ocean Views photo contest.
Blue Planet Music Video
"Blue Planet" Music Video
Jul 15 2010 - 6:32pm
“Blue Planet” is a song on the Oceans Are Talking CD, produced by musician Sam Lardner. Listen to more inspirational songs for kids and adults, including “What Can I Do?” “Humanatee,” and “Pteropods” at Oceans Are Talking. For more about the project, read the Ocean Portal's Q&A with Sam.
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...
Citizens of the Sea Cover
Sep 12 2010 - 1:39pm
The cover of Dr. Nancy Knowlton's new book, Citizens of the Sea, published in partnership with the National Geographic Society and the Census of Marine Life. With dazzling photographs and reader-friendly text, the book addresses such topics as the homes, movements, mating, social dynamics, and...
Hammerhead Shark at Sunset
Nov 28 2012 - 2:34pm
A male great hammerhead shark swims in the Bahamas at sunset in this image captured by National Geographic photojournalist Brian Skerry. For nearly 30 years, Skerry has been swimming with and photographing sharks, including great whites, tigers, bulls, blacktips, and great hammerheads all over...
A bird sits atop an outcrop of rocks surrounded by turbulent water.
Blue on the Big Screen
Mar 18 2011 - 2:52pm
Islanders made homeless by sea-level rise, a dreaming dolphin, and deep underwater explorations are all subjects featured in the 19th Annual Environmental Film Festival. The National Museum of Natural History is proud to host a few of this year’s selections. The festival runs from March 15 to March...
Giant Pacific Manta Ray, Revillagigedos Islands, Mexico
Dec 23 2010 - 2:52pm
“Manta rays sometimes approach divers; an up-close encounter with such a huge, peaceful animal is unforgettable!” -- Nature's Best photographer, Deborah Smrekar. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Ocean Views photo contest.
Calligrapher Celebrates the Ocean
May 9 2011 - 9:54am
"The ocean is essential to all" is one of the Ocean Literacy Principles, and it seems to look more arresting when written in Korean calligraphy than it does in any computer font. Artist Myoung-Won Kwon shared his talents during a visit to the National Museum of Natural History.
Cameraman with Sea Nettles
Apr 17 2010 - 12:00pm
A cameraman navigates a smack of sea nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) in Monterey Bay. A group of jellies is known as a "smack."
California Market Squid
Jul 23 2012 - 9:30am
Two California market squids, Loligo opalescens, mate in the waters off of California's Channel Islands. While spawning, the males' arms blush red as he embraces the female; a warning to other competing males to back-off.
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.
Sweetlips, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Mar 18 2013 - 8:38am
The larger fish in this picture are called sweetlips (Plectorhinchus) because of their big, fleshy lips. There are over thirty species of sweetlips, which tend to live on coral reefs in small groups. 
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...
On the Hunt for a Perfect Photo in the Mangroves
May 25 2012 - 11:40am
Photographer Brian Skerry hikes through a mangrove in Bimini (The Bahamas) to scout locations to photograph baby sharks. Learn more about Brian's life in the field. 
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.
Star Sand Grains Collected from Southern Japan
May 24 2012 - 10:54am
These star-shaped grains of sand, collected from southern Japan, look like miniature works of art -- but they were not sculpted by an artist. They are the shells of microscopic organisms called foraminifera, which build intricate shells from the calcium carbonate they collect while drifting through...