Life in the ocean has been a subject of fascination, study and research for many years. The reason could probably be the diversity of life found underwater. The oceans are in fact, the Earth’s most valuable resource and, according to Nature.org, contain 99 percent of the living space on the planet. Marine animals and aquatic life consist of not only fishes but also marine mammals, invertebrates, mollusks, reptiles and a lot more. However, fish do make up a large part of marine life. According to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, “There is an awful lot of fish in the sea. Each year fishing boats haul in around 80 million metric tons from around the world. The catch is worth more than $78 billion and averages out to 35 pounds of fish per person.”

Marine animals are different from those on land in many ways. However, there are also similarities between certain types of marine animals and land animals. For instance, marine mammals, like land mammals, give birth to their young and the mothers produce milk to feed the babies. One of the biggest differences between life on land and sea is that the environment for marine life is forever in motion. Most marine life is at the mercy of currents in the oceans and seas and as such do not have a permanent ‘home’. Other differences exist in the way marine animals breathe. Marine mammals, for instance, who breathe through lungs have advanced abilities of oxygen conservation and storage unlike land mammals who do not need this ability. Fish on the other hand use their gills to take oxygen and so can breathe underwater as well.

Despite the fact that marine life is fascinating and important, it is constantly at the mercy of humans who exploit and pollute the oceans and seas. More than 40 percent of the world’s oceans are impacted negatively by human activity. Pollution from farming and industrialization, unrestricted coastal development, unsustainable fishing or overfishing practices and climate change are some of the man made factors threaten the ocean life.

Educating people about the importance of marine conservation is, therefore, the need of the hour. In fact, according to MarineBio.org, “The emerging science of Marine Conservation Biology aims to address the rapidly deteriorating state of marine life by applying science to marine conservation.” The site goes on to discuss the various challenges that ocean life is facing, such as, decline in fish stocks, a growing list of threatened or endangered species, increase in mercury levels, dead zones and algae blooms. Marine conservation and protection efforts will not only help to reverse the harm but will also provide much-needed impetus needed to improve aquatic life conditions.

Find out more about the fascinating world of marine animals and use the links below to learn about fish, marine mammals, invertebrates and so much more.

• Marine Life: Find thousands of photos of marine life and an encyclopedic database of the 14 marine protected areas.
• Location and Distribution Data for Marine Animals: A searchable database with nearly 22.7 million distribution and location records of 114000 species of marine animals and plants.
• All About Marine Animals: A comprehensive database providing information and pictures on bony fishes, sharks and other marine species.
• Guide to Marine Animals: Offers detailed information and photos on various categories of marine life – amphibians, fish, marine mammals, octopus and kin, plants and algae, reptiles and invertebrates. Offers easy search options.  
• Hawaii Marine Life: Information on the marine life – seaweeds, fish and invertebrates found on coral reefs in Hawaii. 
• Discover Marine Life: Detailed information, including pictures, size and habitat details, for a range of diverse marine life – fish, mammals, invertebrates. Search by name or click on links for more information.  
• List of Marine Mammals Species and Subspecies: Includes a listing of living and recently extinct species and subspecies of marine mammals. Includes scientific and common names.
• Marine Life Database: An easy to use database for world biodiversity. Covers a total of 25493 taxa. One can use scientific or common name to search for a project or species and get more details about a particular marine animal. 
• California Marine Life Identification: An extensive collection of links to help identify different types of marine life found in Californian waters. 
• Marine Animals Register: A searchable database of 184,802 valid species of marine life. One can search by common name or scientific name. Also, includes links to a photo gallery for marine life.
• Learn about Marine Mammals: Easy-to-understand and simple information about marine mammals, such as, cetaceans, pinnpeds, sirenians and others.
• New York Marine Life: Offers information on marine animal species found in the New York State area. Click on the species names in the sidebar for photographs and details.
• Marine Life Library: Links to information on animal species, sounds, facts and even, a virtual aquarium visit.
• Channel Island Marine Life: Detailed information about different marine animal species found in and around the Channel Islands.
• Marine Life Education: Comprehensive learning zone on marine life species. Offers information on common names, scientific names, images and important information.
• The Complete Fish Database: The ‘Find a Fish’ fact sheets offers links to look up particular species by common, scientific or family name. Also, has information on regional guides to fishes and a glossary of fish terms.
• Marine Fish Species: A database of marine fish species, listed according to common name, and with information on taxonomy, habitat, range, size and behavior.
• Fish Species: A detailed list of different fish species with photos and information on identification and life history. 
• Great Lakes Fish Species: Profiles and photographs of fish species found in the Great Lakes area.
• Understanding Marine Biodiversity: A list of marine biodiversity or variety of marine life, with information on characteristics, types and other details.
• Marine Mammals Classification: A detailed article on taxonomy of marine mammals with links describing individual species, such as pinnipeds and cetaceans. 
• Everything About Fishes: A comprehensive searchable database for students and teachers on everything related to fishes. Find information on types, anatomy, endangered species as well as activities, images and detailed resources on different species.
• Aquatic Species Factsheets: Fact sheets describing the life history, geographic distribution, utilization and population of fish and other living marine resources. Also, includes a search function.
• Saltwater Fish Catalog: A list of saltwater fish found in Florida waters. Has photographs and details, including family, description, size and where it is found.
• Marine Species Factsheets: A searchable list of aquatic species factsheets. Use simple word search, advanced scientific name search or a graphic taxonomic group search to look up facts on marine life.
• Marine Species Database: A simple searchable database for all the species of the world, including marine species. Search by common name, scientific name or by distribution and get detailed species information drawn from various sources. 
• Fish Galleries: Useful resource offering photos and identification tips for fish and invertebrates according to region.
• Marine Mammals Listings: A listing of all marine mammals, according to Special Concerns, alphabetical order and scientific names.
• Learning about Marine Life: An interactive learning center designed to help learn about the types and behavior of marine life in the reefs. 
• Facts about Marine Animals: Answers to commonly asked questions about various species of marine animals such as belugas, turtles, invertebrates, sharks and many others.
• Aquatic Animal Facts: Links to various species of aquatic life, including otters, whales, jellies, frogfish, sharks and more. 
• Southern Ocean Marine Life: Details of marine life, plants and animals, found in the Southern Ocean. 
• South Australian Marine Life: Provides a searchable database for fish, marine mammals, invertebrates and plants found in South Australian waters. Offers photos and data on various species.
• Sea Life Database: A large searchable database for 10,7000 species of aquatic life. search by common name, scientific name, country or island, ecosystem, topic or tools. 
• Marine Life in British Columbia: Listings of marine life found in British Columbia waters. Offers photos, scientific name, geographic range and information for beach walkers and scuba divers.

Additional Resources

• Oil and Marine Mammals: A detailed document on how oil and the methods used to clean up spills can have a negative impact on marine mammals and sea turtles.
• Human Impact on Ocean Life: Details of a recent study of human impact on the ocean life.
• Marine Conservation: Links to articles on marine conservation work by the various U.S bodies. Also includes photo galleries and additional resources.
• How Can People Help: A list of simple yet effective steps that one can take to improve ocean conditions and protect marine life.
• Ocean Conservation Strategies: Links to articles on different ocean conservation strategies, including marine sanctuaries and conservation measures steps one can take everyday. 

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