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The Ocean is important to all life, including yours. Join us.

Welcome to the Ocean Portal – a unique, interactive online experience that inspires awareness, understanding, and stewardship of the world’s Ocean, developed by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and more than 20 collaborating organizations.

You are among the first wave of visitors to the Portal, an experience which we hope will empower you to shape and share your personal Ocean experiences, knowledge, and perspectives.

The input you provide through feedback modules and comment boxes will help us to shape future Ocean Portal content and functionality. Like the Ocean, which is made of millions of marine species, your comments, questions, and clicks will help to bring the Portal closer to the vastness and variety of the Ocean itself.

Collaborator Contributions

North Carolina Delegation students and teachers posing for a photo in front of the ocean at Bald Head Island in North Carolina

North Carolina Aquarium Delegation at Bald Head Island

These students from North Carolina are among dozens from the U.S. and Mexico who are developing action plans on ocean and climate-related issues in their local communities. They’re getting advice from their teachers and experts at aquariums and marine research centers. As part of the Third Student Summit on Coastal and Ocean Issues, the students presented their plans in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 15, 2011, in a program that was webcast live from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Learn more about the Student Summit and webcast.

George Watters, Director of NOAA’s Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division

Dr. Rita Colwell, University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Dr. Rita Colwell, a former director of the National Science Foundation, is a Distinguished University Professor both at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

A “pink meanie” jellyfish feeds on a moon jelly.

It’s a Jelly Eat Jelly World

A “pink meanie” jellyfish (Drymonema larsoni)—a species found in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean—feeds on a moon jelly (Aurelia). Dr. Keith Bayha from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Dr.

Oil on the water’s surface in the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Official Report on Gulf Oil Spill Released

The National Oil Spill Commission has released findings from its investigation into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Read the final report or watch the video summary. Then, save the date for the panel discussion One Year After the Gulf Oil Spill here at the Smithsonian and via live webcast on April 19, 2011 at 6:30 pm (EDT).

Pygmy Seahorse Blends in with Sea Fan Behind It

Eye to Eye With a Pygmy Seahorse

One of the world’s smallest seahorses, the pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti), is no bigger than your pinky finger. These tiny animals are masters of disguise, using a strategy of blending into their surrounding environment to survive.

Brandon Southall aboard The Alliance

Dr. Brandon Southall in the Mediterranean Sea aboard the NATO research vessel Alliance

Boat Propeller Fouled With Barnacles

Home is where the hull is: Since the dawn of seafaring, humankind has had to deal with pesky creatures, such as barnacles, that “foul” ship hulls and boat propellers like this one. Find out more in "No Fouling Around" from the Citizens of the Sea blog series.

Marine researchers Carole Baldwin and Adrien Schrier wear santa hats in a submersible in the Caribbean.

Lovely Weather for a Sub Ride Together With You

Dr. Carole Baldwin, Smithsonian Curator of Fishes, and Adrien "Dutch" Schrier of the Curacao Seaquarium reflect the holiday spirit as they work off the coast of Curacao in the southern Caribbean.

Cut of Atlantic Salmon

A beautiful cut of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), a popular species among seafood lovers that is in severe decline. Check out our guest blog post by Oceana's Emily Fisher on the explosion of salmon farming in Chile, and learn more about making smart seafood choices in our Sustainable Seafood section.