South Florida Virtual Tour [.ipex]
http://sofia.usgs.gov/virtual_tour/index.html
Southern Florida contains some of the most unique landscape and biology in the US. The US Geological Society and Southern Florida Information Access (SOFIA) maintains the South Florida Virtual Tour in hopes of sharing the beauty of the area and promoting its protection. Visitors can tour sixteen areas (e.g., the Everglades and the Florida Keys); view images (still and 360 degree), illustrations, and maps; and read simple but informative descriptions about the landscape and biota. The site is easy to navigate and enjoyable to explore. [JAB]
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The Brain Connection [Flash, Shockwave]
http://www.brainconnection.com/
The Scientific Learning Corporation maintains the Brain Connection, a Web site "dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality information about how the brain works and how people learn." This extensive site has descriptions, pictures, animations, puzzles, quizzes and much more on nearly every aspect of the human brain. Everyone from kids to adults will find hours of interesting and fun exploration at this well-constructed Web site. [JAB]
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The Horseshoe Crab
http://www.horseshoecrab.org/
An entire site devoted to the Horseshoe Crab? The Ecological Research and Development Group (ERDG) has a "commitment to protect this remarkable mariner who plays a vital role in nature's delicately balanced food web and whose life-sustaining contributions to humanity have yet to be fully realized." This well-designed site gives descriptions of the Horseshoe Crab's natural history, evolution, anatomy, medical uses, conservation, research, and even a section devoted to poems, tales, and images. [JAB]
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Carl Hayden Bee Research Center
http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov
The Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, part of the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service, conducts ecological studies of honey bees to improve honey production and pollination of agricultural crops. This award winning Web site has recently added an Expert Forum on Honey Bees where users are able submit their questions to USDA experts and receive a response via email. A database of previously submitted questions and answers is maintained for viewers to browse or search. Additionally, researchers, beekeepers, students, and homeowners will find many other features of interest, including a fact sheet on Africanized honeybees, a handbook on plants that require pollination, and a natural history of honey bees. Although I was unable to download some of the models or view some of the photos, this site has plenty of valuable information. [AL]
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Epidemiological Information on Bioterrorism
http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/bioterrorism.html
"...bioterrorism thrives on public fear." Dr. Ralph R. Frerichs of the UCLA School of Public Health maintains this Web site to educate students, the public, and health professionals about the public health impact of bioterrorism. The site offers links to recent articles about the public health threat of biological weapons and information about various diseases associated with possible biological weapons, including anthrax, smallpox, botulism and others. Unless you are a UCLA student, most viewers will choose to skip the Courses section, but users should check out the interactive Anthrax and Bioterrorism tutorial. Also, a feature that could easily be missed but is surprisingly thorough, Disease Detectives provides a substantial amount of data and analysis of the 2001 anthrax outbreak. [AL]
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