Reliable Websites - EBIO 2100 - Marine Biology - Library Guides at Tulane University

Websites

Tip: Look for websites ending in .gov

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association
United States Department of Commerce
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)
The ITIS is the result of a partnership of federal agencies formed to satisfy their mutual needs for scientifically credible taxonomic informatio
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior.

Tip: Look for websites that end in .edu

Smithsonian Ocean Portal
From the Smithsonian - National Museum of Natural History
The Marine Biological Laboratory
Dedicated to scientific discovery and improving the human condition through research and education in biology, biomedicine, and environmental science.

Tip: Look for websites ending in .org

Census of Marine Life
A 10-year international effort undertaken in to assess the diversity (how many different kinds), distribution (where they live), and abundance (how many) of marine life—a task never before attempted on this scale.
FishBase
The FishBase Information and Research Group, Inc. (FIN) is a not-for-profit NGO dedicated to support the team of 20 experts that produce the monthly updated versions of FishBase and SeaLifeBase
GulfBase. org
Resource database for Gulf of Mexico research
IUCN Red List of threatened species
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
LUMCON Library
Before visiting the facility, please call 985-851-2875 to ensure the Library will be open.
The MarineBio Conservation Society
Marine Conservation institute
Marine Conservation Institute, a nonprofit organization,dedicated to securing permanent, strong protection for the oceans’ most important places – for us and future generations.
Marine Species Identification Portal
The information presented here was compiled over a period of 10 years by a global network of collaborating taxonomists that was started with UNESCO support.
MarLIN
Marine Life Information Network. An initiative of the Marine Biological Association of the UK (MBA).
ReefBase: A global information system for coral reefs
Central repository for data of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN).
UN Atlas of the Oceans
The Atlas is an information system designed for policy-makers, scientists, students and resource managers for sharing, exchanging and consulting information on oceans and coastal areas
UN Environment Program (UNEP) - Environmental Data Explorer
Online database holding nearly 600 different variables, such as national, subregional, regional and global statistics or geospatial data sets (maps), covering themes like Freshwater, Population, Forests, Emissions, Climate, Disasters, Health and GDP.
WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species
The aim of a World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms, including information on synonymy

When Can I Trust a Website?

Here are some tips to decide if you should use the website in your paper

Currency: Is there a 'last updated' date or a recent copyright date? Are the articles and reports found on the website somewhat recent? Are the links functional?

If no: AVOID this site

Relevancy: Is there information on the website related to your topic? Is it written in a way intended for someone at a University-level (vs. elementary school or experienced medical professional)?

If no: AVOID this site

Authority: Who is/are the authors of the site? If it is an organization do they have an about page? Is there a way to contact the organization/author? What information can you find about the author organization from a third party source? Do the authors have a PhD, MD, or expert credentials on the topic?

If no: RECONSIDER using this site

Tip: If the URL ends in .gov then you can be confident that this is a Government website which you can trust

Accuracy: How do you know you can trust the information? Is there a working reference list (links actually go to a reputable source)? Does the website provide citations? Are the authors experts in their field? Is the website free of typos, spelling mistakes and bad grammar?

If no: RECONSIDER using this site

Purpose: Why did someone create this site? Are they trying to entertain, sell, motivate, convince, exploit their readers? Is the website full of advertisements, angry commentary, unprofessional writing, and requests for money?

if yes: AVOID this site