You asked for it, you got it! Here you will find links to numerous real-time data sets which can be incorporated into your lesson plans (visit the Lesson Plan Collections page for other existing activities). For pointers on how to use real-time data, click here.

 
General Data Sources

Ship Mates - Study one of the world's most biologically productive areas, the Gulf of Maine. Seasonally collected data including temperature, salinity and chlorophyll, plus scientists' personal insights into oceanographic research are posted on-line along with several educational activities that guide users through working with on-line oceanographic data. High school level.

Virtual Vacationland - Find and use web-based earth science data and information. Content is arranged by topic: land topography, bathymetry, coastal tides, ocean buoy data, ocean temperature, weather and climate, and watersheds and rivers. There are links to over forty "hands on" activities, as well. Each topic has background information, terminology, key questions, web links, and images & animations. Middle and high school level.

Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS) - The current GoMOOS website provides real-time oceanographic, weather, and biological data collected throughout the Gulf of Maine. The data is presented using graphics and contains background information about the data presented. Correlated educational content will be added in the future.

NOAA's National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) - Links to a variety of current oceanographic databases.

nowCOAST Web Portal - Coast Survey Development Laboratory (CSDL) has developed a spatially-referenced Web portal to provide National Ocean Service (NOS) forecast model developers and the coastal community centralized access to online, real-time physical meteorological, oceanographic, river, and air/water quality information. In addition to this observation data, the Web portal also provides NOAA forecasts for major estuaries, seaports, and adjacent coastal regions as well as the Great Lakes.

The Laboratory for Ocean Color Users (LOCUS) - LOCUS is a collaborative site featuring the use of Giovanni, a Web-based data exploration and analysis tool. LOCUS is intended to support the research use of Ocean Color Giovanni, which has data from SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua. The site includes several educational modules covering ocean color and sea surface temperature, boundary currents, upwelling and primary productivity, interannual and seasonal variability, and the Southern Ocean.

Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) - DLESE is an online clearinghouse of earth science education materials for all levels. Here, you'll find peer-reviewed K-12 and undergraduate resources, student-friendly access to the data, simulations & modeling, and new approaches to teaching and learning about the Earth system.

 
Biological Data

OBIS Special Edition - The website for project OBIS-SEAMAP (Ocean Biogeographic Information System - Spatial Ecological Analysis of Megavertebrate Populations). Marine mammal, seabird and sea turtle data are organized into a spatially referenced database. The site allows you to map species ranges and also features a wealth of species profiles. The data sets contain survey information dating back to 1935.

National Marine Fisheries Service's Statistics & Economics - National fisheries data from as far back as 1950. You can search commercial or recreational fisheries data or find economic and world fisheries information.

Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans Fisheries Statistics - Provides data on Canada's aquaculture, landings, Atlantic/Pacific licenses, recreational fishing, international trade, quota reports, historical statistics, exporters, and consumption.

REEF Fish Survey Database - Access marine fish species distribution and abundance data for coastal U.S. waters or view data summaries for the Great American Fish Count.

FishBase - Find biological information on just about any fish with this database of more than 25,000 species. Look up information by common or scientific name, family, geographical location, or topic area.

WhaleNet's STOP (Satellite Tagging Observation Program) Data, Maps & Observations - Easy to obtain data from current and archived tagging projects on whales, porpoises, seals, and turtles plus questions and activities to help use the data in the classroom.

seaturtle.org Tracking - "Where are the turtles?? This site will help your classes answer this question! This is an easy to use tool for collecting, managing and sharing sea turtle satellite tracking data in near real time. You will find information for your class to "Adopt a Turtle", downloadable blank maps in PDF files for use in the classroom and turtle tracking data for registered users." Chantelle, Biology-Grades 9-12

Watamu Turtle Watch Data - Sea turtle nesting and release data from Watamu, Kenya.

Folly Beach Turtle Watch Program - Sea turtle nest data from Folly Beach, SC for 1998, 1999 and 2000. Data include date discovered, number of eggs, location, expected and actual hatch dates, and percent hatched.

Turtle Travels - On October 1, 2000, three loggerhead sea turtles were released off the coast of San Diego, California by scientists at Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute. With satellite tracking, you can follow them on their journey and find the sea surface temperature for their location.

Ship Mates - Study one of the world's most biologically productive areas, the Gulf of Maine. Seasonally collected data including temperature, salinity and chlorophyll, plus scientists' personal insights into oceanographic research are posted on-line along with several educational activities that guide users through working with on-line oceanographic data. High school level.

 
Physical & Chemical Data

NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide - Get near real-time water temperature data and average monthly water temperature data from stations along the coastal U.S.

National Data Buoy Center - Get real-time data for wind direction, wind speed, wind gust, wave height, dominant wave period, atmospheric pressure, pressure tendency, air temperature, and water temperature for buoys around the world.

Project YOTO Drifters - Use data from ocean drifting buoys to integrate ocean science into your classroom science and math instruction, includes suggested educational activities and curriculum materials.

LEO-15 Data - Get weekly data, including water temperatures, salinity, clarity, wave height, and current speeds, for a station off the New Jersey coast.

Chesapeake Bay Observing System - Real-time data from two stations in the Chesapeake Bay. Data include air temperature, wind speed & direction, barometric pressure, humidity and salinity data.

U.S. GLOBEC Georges Bank Program Data - This project focuses on key fisheries species and two zooplankton species, and how their population dynamics are influenced by the physical environment. This database provides biological, physical and chemical data, and a data access example and demonstration.

Real-Time Water Data - USGS streamflow data including flow, stage and temperature for stations around the country.

Water Quality of San Francisco Bay - Provides current water quality data from the San Francisco Bay and helps you understand the data with a glossary of technical terms, description of sampling program and methods, sample displays of data, visual displays of sampling results and more.

TOPEX/Poseidon - Provides global sea level height data plus an education section with an online tutorial of altimetry and the TOPEX/Poseidon project.

NOAA's Water Level & Associated Data - Provides historical and real-time water level data for stations throughout the United States, plus other oceanographic and meteorological data such as air and water temperature.

CoastWatch Lake Surface Temperature Reporting System - Look up surface temperatures for the Great Lakes.

Columbia River Environment (CORIE) - CORIE is a pilot environmental observation and forecasting system for the Columbia River. Within the Observation Network link, shipboard and buoy data are accessible. Buoy station data include real time water temperature, salinity, and conductivity. Archived buoy data from up to 15 days prior is available. Shipboard data includes real time, when vessel is active, and archived salinity and temperature measurements from CORIE's fleet.

 
Geological Data

Global Relief Data and Images - Search the gridded 5-minute Global Relief Data to get seafloor depths for your area of choice. Read the geographic selection information for directions on how to select an area.

 
Climate & Atmospheric Data

NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide - Get near real-time water temperature data and average monthly water temperature data from stations along the coastal U.S.

The CERES S'COOL (Students' Cloud Observations On-Line) Project - A project which involves school children providing ground truth measurements to assist in the validation of the CERES instruments in climate related studies. The website enables you to compare the surface- and space-based observations to learn more about clouds and climate.

The Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record from Mauna Loa - This easy to use dataset contains monthly averages of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations from 1958 through 1997.

TOPEX/Poseidon - Provides global sea level height data plus an education section with an online tutorial of altimetry and the TOPEX/Poseidon project.

NOAA's Water Level & Associated Data - Provides historical and real-time water level data for stations throughout the United States, plus other oceanographic and meteorological data such as air and water temperature.

IRI/LDEO Climate Data Library - Contains a wide variety of oceanographic and atmospheric data including topography, sea surface temperature, salinity, oxygen and other oceanographic variables. For help on using these data, consult their Introduction to Climate Data and Examples sections.

 
Use & Management Data

Tidal Wetlands Impacts Data Home Page - This dataset shows the amount of wetlands in Virginia impacted by various human activities. Select data by year, activity, watershed, or wetland type.

Flood Impacts - NOAA data on flood-related damage and fatalities from 1903 to the present.

Tips & Tools Other Bridge pages with related information: Current Data Tip Data Tip Archives

The Bridge is supported by the National Sea Grant Office, the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, and the National Marine Educators Association. , Webkeeper © Sea Grant Marine Advisory Services Virginia Institute of Marine Science College of William and Mary Gloucester Point, VA 23062