Orcas (formerly known as killer whales), Orcinus orca, are actually dolphins. They are the largest of the dolphin family (Family Delphinidae with about 32 species, including the dolphins, pygmy killer whales, Feresa attenuata, and false killer whales, Pseudorca crassiddens).
Next to humans, orca are the most widely distributed mammal. Orca inhabit all oceans of the world but are most numerous in the Arctic, the Antarctic and areas in nutrient-rich cold water upwellings. They have been sighted along the shores of Washington, Oregon, California, Baja California, and along the eastern coast of the United States. More...
Welcome to MarineBio
We invite you to explore the depths of MarineBio and find out about marine species, ocean conservation, research, and 101+ Ways to Make a Difference Today.
Find out more about MarineBio and Our Mission and join our rapidly growing community at the MarineBio Conservation Society.
Society donations and memberships are vital to keeping MarineBio online and growing. Join us and help make a difference today.
MarineBio is a U.S. 501(c)3 charitable, nonprofit organization and is supported almost entirely by generous donations and Society memberships and is maintained by volunteer marine biologists, students, professors, and conservation advocates around the world working together to share the wonders of the ocean realm while promoting science education and inspiring marine conservation, research, and a sea ethic.
Make your voice heard by visiting our Plankton Forums and the MarineBio Blog and join us in our efforts to make sure that the ocean's wonders thrive and survive. Together we are making a difference.
MarineBio is an evolving tribute to all ocean life and has been a central source of the latest information concerning marine life and its biology and conservation online since 1998.
Ocean Life News
- Talking to Dolphins: New "Dolphin Speaker" Produces Full Range of Dolphinese Sounds
- Why Peru's Marine Life Die Off Will Never Be Solved
- Pacific reef sharks have declined by more than 90 percent, new study says
- White killer whale adult spotted for first time in wild | Killer whales facing an airborne threat | What's killing the Gulf of Mexico's dolphins? [Oil spill is prime suspect in hundreds of dolphin deaths]
- Massive Dolphin Die-Off in Peru May Remain a Mystery | Are Jellyfish Populations Increasing?
- James Cameron Now at Ocean's Deepest Point! ~ James Cameron Completes Record-Breaking Mariana Trench Dive
- Choosing Life Over Fear - Paul Gilding: The Earth is full
- Should new species be kept secret?
- Update for world temperature data ~ Climate 'tech fixes' urged for Arctic methane
- Deep ocean mysteries and wonders ~ TED-Ed
- James Hansen speaks out about global climate change ~ Climate change denial isn't about science, or even skepticism
- We are the oceans ~ Documents strike at heart of denial machine ~ iPhone fish identification app
- YouDive TV: The first Web TV on Scuba Diving, Freediving and Snorkeling - 100% in HD ~ Why Costa Ricans Are the Happiest: Social and Natural Factors
- Mike deGruy: Hooked by an octopus [RIP]
- Ocean fish in hot water: The warming ocean is creating a trap that could doom fish
- Beneath The Waves Film Festival 2012 - Open for Submissions: Deadline Feb 24, 2012 ~ Clues in Shark Vertebrae Reveal Where They've Been
- 'The Hoff' crab is new ocean find ~ Opportunistic mimicry by a jawfish of a mimic octopus ~ Krill Facts - centre of information on Krill and Antarctica - KrillFacts.org ~ Pelicans and Flying Rays (Narrated by David Tennant) - Earthflight - BBC One ~ "Rapier Wielding" Shark Among New Species Found in 2011
- Celebrating a Good Year for Marine Conservation ~ Night Dive at Tiger Beach ~ Searching for Life on the Seafloor? ~ Turtle Village Trust - Protecting Sea Turtles Beyond The Beach [video] ~ 10 misrepresentations about climate change - Southern Fried Science ~ World-First Discovery 'Can Help Save Coral Reefs' ~ The American 'allergy' to global warming: Why?
- Fish Ingesting [millions of tons of] Plastic Waste, Study Finds ~ Mexico Will Ban Shark Fishing as Global Sanctuary Movement Grows
- Ocean Watch: new video library special feature: John Weller's Ross Sea »
- How Far Will Dolphins Go to Relate to Humans? [The Wild Dolphin Project site] ~ New species of dolphin discovered - Tursiops australis [PLoS One paper]
- Dodgy Data Makes Sea Turtle Death Toll Ambiguous (first study of the compilation of bycatch estimates from all fisheries in the US)
- BP Spill Blamed on Poor Management: Report ~ Arctic Sea Ice Level Hits Record Low ~ Free Morgan PSA! ~ Deep Trouble for the Deep Sea
- Making Headway in the Movement to Protect the World's Sharks ~ Hawaiian monk seal sliding towards extinction in reserve
- Fishing Gear Is Altered to Ease Collateral Costs to Marine Life ~ Large sperm whale beaches and dies in Spain ~ Giant red crabs invade the Antarctic abyss
- As Imperiled Walruses Are Forced to Shore by Melting Ice, Obama Administration Moves Forward With Dangerous Arctic Drilling Plan ~ Take Action: Americans are speaking out and asking Congress to make our ocean fish populations a national priority
- Global Warming May Cause Higher Loss of Biodiversity Than Previously Thought ~ First Comprehensive Scientific Study of Coral Sea's Spectacular Marine Life Released
- Shifting Atlantic Mackerel Distribution Linked to Environmental Factors, Changing Climate ~ Keeling Lecture: Climate Change: The Evidence and Our Options
- DEEPSEA LIVE: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer ROV live video on the Mid-Cayman Rise 2011 Expedition
- On the Shark Beat (interview with Juliet Eilperin, author of "Demon Fish") ~ World's Largest Shark Sanctuary Slated in Micronesia, Equal to 2/3 Size of US ~ Arctic Sea Ice May Approach Record Low
- Take Action: Urge Congress to SUPPORT the National Ocean Policy
- 'Marine massacre': Hundreds of dead sharks buried at sea ~ Increased protection urgently needed for tunas ~ Take Action: Stop the Extinction Rider: Tell Congress to Save Species
- Honduras Declares Shark Sanctuary ~ Loss of Top Animal Predators Has Massive Ecological Effects ~ Walkout Sours Global Whaling Conference
- Fish Photographed Using Tools to Eat ~ Shark fishing banned in the Bahamas ~ Chile Bans Shark Finning
- News Archives »
Marine Conservation
Find out about the issues marine life currently faces and what we can all do to help (and why we should). Hear from leading scientists and advocates about the science involved in Marine Conservation Biology and discover what organizations around the world are also doing in the fight to save our ocean, its life and ultimately ourselves. For a wonderful introduction to wildlife conservation, check out the 12 essays by Dr. Moyle and join the discussions in our forums and our blog, on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Marine Life
Sharing the wonder of marine life is what started MarineBio, so in this section we explore information on the science, biology, taxonomy, morphology, etc. of the fascinating marine life that inhabits our ocean. Browse our marine life databases where we're working to provide home pages for the ~4,000 most common and threatened/endangered marine species.
Volunteers from around the world are working to help increase our number of species and your donations and memberships are helping to make it happen as soon as possible.
- Marine Species Databases - Browse or search our species home pages for marine birds, fishes, reptiles, seals & sea lions, sharks & rays, squid & octopuses, whales & dolphins, and more....
- MarineBio Video Library - Watch hours of online videos from MarineBio Expeditions and across the Web of marine life and related movies, documentaries, trailers and even lectures.
- MarineBio Photo Galleries - Explore hundreds of selected photos of marine life from some of the world's best photographers and MarineBio staff from around the world...
- Marine Life Forums - Join discussions involving the latest research & news, marine conservation, marine animals & plants, and much more...
The Ocean
This section of MarineBio explores some of what is known about the ocean and provides an online introduction to marine biology and ocean science. Here we begin the journey into this planet's largest living space — The Ocean.
Find out about the history of the ocean, its chemistry, its currents and tides and its various habitats or zones such as the continental shelves, the open ocean and the deep sea.
Education & Careers
For current and future students of marine science, we provide updated links to resources, academic institutions, and marine labs offering curricula in the various disciplines related to the study of the ocean and marine life.
We also provide job resources for those completing their studies: Job Resources ~ Careers & Education @Plankton Forums
Explore & Discover
MarineBio's marine science quizzes, MarineBio kids, interesting ocean facts, ocean mysteries, scuba diving, and submarines! Check out our expedition photo galleries and great videos of marine life such as the flamboyant cuttlefishes, scorpionfishes, sea slugs and the rare white V octopus. Stop by our Amazon bookshop and buy selected ocean-related books and DVDs and MarineBio's Ocean Gear Shop with cool t-shirts, prints, calendars and much more... all proceeds go directly toward our conservation and research projects.
Deep Resources
Professionals in the marine sciences are an important part of the MarineBio community. MarineBio's resources provide a convenient clearinghouse of information and links to academic resources including: Relevant journals ~ Reference books ~ Online research tools (databases etc.) ~ Worldwide marine conservation organizations ~ Aquariums around the world ~ The Plankton Forums ~ Marine life hourly news...
The ocean is our earth's greatest natural resource. It is the place of origin for most life forms. Millions of people rely on the ocean for survival. Twelve million fishermen operate three million vessels landing around 90 million tons of fish each year, providing work for over 200 million people worldwide.
More than 60% of the global population live within 60 km of the coast. The ocean provides the majority of our oxygen and the rain itself. The ocean buffers the weather and helps regulate global temperature and manages vast amounts of our pollutants. More than 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide are absorbed by the ocean every year.
The ocean is home to some of the most amazing creatures on earth, ~80% of the world's biodiversity lives in the sea and there is still so much to be discovered. At least 100 million unnamed species live on the ocean floor alone. Thousands of pharmaceutical compounds have been isolated from marine animals and plants. The cures for HIV/AIDs, cancer, malaria, tuberculosis and leukemia, etc. could lie beneath the waves. The ocean is in our backyard, yet more is known about the Moon and Mars. We are just now beginning to understand the ocean and with that understanding comes the increasing realization that the ocean is in deep trouble. Marine conservation efforts so far are simply overwhelmed by the number and scale of the problems the ocean faces.
Please learn more about the ocean, its life, the problems it faces, and what you can do today to help protect and restore it, for all of us.
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Feedback & Citation
Help us continue to share the wonders of the ocean with the world, raise awareness of marine conservation issues and their solutions, and support marine conservation scientists and students involved in the marine life sciences. Join the MarineBio Conservation Society or make a donation today. We would like to sincerely thank all of our members, donors, and sponsors, we simply could not have achieved what we have without you and we look forward to doing even more.
