This site provides excellent background information on deserts. Large print and superb pictures make this site very appealing to younger students. Topics include: What is a Desert Like?, Types of Deserts, What causes Deserts?, Deserts of the World, Desert Plants, Desert Animals, and links to other desert sites. Full description.

This portal offers an alphabetical selection of links to materials on a variety of sea creatures, especially whales. Topics include research reports, expedition records, maps, datasets, movies, and sound recordings for several species of whales, seals, porpoises, and turtles. Full description.

This document describes the functions and values of wetlands, and includes keywords and illustrations. Wetlands have received wastewater discharges from many different situations in the past, but only recently have they been recognized as potentially cost-efficient treatment systems. They can effectively remove or convert large quantities of pollutants from point sources (municipal and industrial ... Full description.

This site was created by a group of fourteen students as a combined project between Utah State University's "Academic Adventures" and the Mount Logan Middle School "Celebrate Youth" Program as part of a class called "Take-it-Outside." It provides a good overview of wetlands at a level that is appropriate for young people and the general public. Individual sections cover types of wetlands, habitats, ... Full description.

NASA and Russian scientists have been selected to take the search for life in the solar system to the frozen reaches of Earth. Life forms (from diatoms and bacteria to mammoths) preserved in the Siberian permafrost can yield evidence about how life has changed on the molecular level and provide a treasure trove of ancient enzymes, proteins, and biochemicals. The ecosystems of the ice and permafrost ... Full description.

It is a miracle that life can survive in the extreme conditions of the desert. Users can learn about mammals (including wolves), insects and spiders, fish and birds(including hawks), and reptiles and amphibians (including rattlesnakes) that have adapted and, in fact, thrive in the harsh desert ecosystems. Links to related topics such as animal survival in the desert and animal rescues are included. ... Full description.

Desert plants have adapted to the extremes of heat and aridity by using both physical and behavioral mechanisms, much like desert animals. The ingenuity and variety of these many adaptations are explored in a set of links to wildflowers, cacti and succulents, trees, shrubs, and grasses. Links to related topics such as desert plant survival, wildflower articles, and others are also included. Full description.

This slide show explores the threats to the Chinook salmon population in the Stillaguamish River watershed of Snohomish County, Washington. Topics include the status of the present population, factors contributing to the decline of the population, habitat needs for healthy salmon, and steps that are necessary for the recovery of the population. Full description.

This article discusses the importance of water in supporting and sustaining life and focuses on why water, and solely in its liquid form, is so essential. The focus here is on the potential presence of water on Mars. Some of the physical and chemical properties of water are summarized, and their uniqueness is presented as the reason planetary scientists are on the lookout for water on Mars and elsewhere ... Full description.

The site offers information on Australia's aquatic habitats and their protection, management, and rehabilitation. Visitors will also find instructions for reporting fish kills and information on how to help protect and conserve fish habitats. Full description.