Last month we shared some resources on the Gulf oil spill and the situation is even more critical now. The Encyclopedia of Life has added an entry on the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill 2010 that describes the diversity of life in the Gulf and has links to news articles about the spill. Unfortunately, the list of articles keeps getting longer.

The Deepwater Horizon Response website is a “Unified Command” clearinghouse of information provided by government agencies (such as the U.S. Coast Guard, EPA, NOAA, USGS, the National Park Service, OSHA, and the Departments of State, Interior, and Homeland Security) and BP. There are daily updates, maps, and articles related to the spill.  UPDATED link: http://www.restorethegulf.gov/

With the oceans getting a lot of attention, you may want to check out the Ocean Portal from the Smithsonian Institution and 20 other organizations. According to the press release, users have many options to explore, including

• Ocean Life & Ecosystems, offering information about marine life species and the environments in which they live
• Ocean Science, introducing visitors to the latest experiments and research of ocean scientists around the world
• The Ocean Over Time, providing a look at the evolution of the ocean
• For Educators, providing teachers with activities, lessons and educational resources
• Photo Essays, highlighting feature stories on a variety of topics relating to ocean life
• The Ocean & You, where visitors can learn about important ocean issues and ways to make a positive impact
• Find Your Blue, a section designed to inspire visitors to participate, share, and check out featured actions that they can take to help the ocean
• The website also includes the Ocean Portal Blog and RSS feeds where visitors can go to stay up-to-date on the latest in ocean news. Visitors can also access Ocean Portal content and participate through Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

I spent an evening looking at these resources and barely scratched the surface! The photos and other graphics are spectacular, the feature stories are compelling, and many of the features have sidebars with suggestions for the classroom.  Unfortunately, the Gulf oil spill is center stage on the portal.

But on another note—I read that Jacques Cousteau’s Calypso has been renovated and will embark on a tour this year to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of his birth. Captain Cousteau was one of my heros. I wonder what his thoughts would be about the current situation.