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Oceanography Reference Resources

Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences

Introduction


Reference materials serve a variety of purposes and can sometimes be used effectively in searching the scientific literature. Reference materials can be used to:

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias


Provide definitions of discipline terminology and/or general introductions to topics and concepts in oceanography. Scholarly encyclopedias include references to selected "primary" literature.

Directories


These are commonly alphabetical or subject listings of people, organizations, or places.

Scientific Reviews


Scientific reviews or "state-of-the-art" reviews critically survey a narrow topic and identify and evaluate research which has appeared in the "primary" literature. Extensive bibliographies of cited "primary" literature are commonly included. Scientific reviews typically appear in annual publications entitled "Annual review of ...", "Advances in ...", as well as in journals, especially those which have "review" as part of the title.

There are several ways to locate scientific reviews:

  1. Many annual review series have cumulative indexes.
  2. Individual review papers are commonly included in indexes. Create a search using the keyword "review" as part of your search strategy.
  3. The 39 titles in the "Annual Review of ..." publication series can be browsed or searched by keyword as far back as 1930.

Annual review series of interest in oceanography include the following titles. Use the Journal and Newspaper Finder to determine location and format.

Bibliographies


Bibliographies are compiled lists which gather together known research on a specific topic. They are generally more useful for retrospective rather than current searching. Listed below are some additional general oceanography and Pacific Coast bibliographies available in this Library.

Comprehensive Works


Listed below are treatises that are authoritative compilations on the state of knowledge in various areas of oceanography and databases that contain extensive compilations of oceanographic information.

Handbooks and Manuals


Handbooks commonly contain data and descriptive information that has been compiled from the "primary" literature and organized into tables or expository articles. Many basic and factual questions can be answered from handbooks. Manuals usually contain procedures for experimental analysis in the field or laboratory.

Laws and Regulations


Graphics and Images


One can use a combination of general and specialized Internet search engines to find images on the web. See Images for a list of specialized search engines. However, search engines fail to index the content of the "invisible web", especially information contained within databases. The following sources are either specialized databases or sites devoted to images or sounds in oceanography:

Geospatial Resources: Atlases and Maps


Oceanographic atlases and maps graphically compile large quantities of oceanographic station to give a composite picture of various oceanographic properties. In addition to the following resources see Geospatial Resources--Marine Maps and California Maps--Coast and Ocean.

Environmental Reviews, Assessments, & Plans


Contain analysis of environmental policies and issues and may also contain statistical data. For general reviews see Environmental Reviews. Reviews more specific to oceanography include:

  • America's Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change (Pew Oceans Commission) 2003 (cd-rom containing all the documents is available in GC 1020 P48 2003) Contains a final report on the State of America's Oceans; recommendations for implementation; and supporting reports on Managing Marine Fisheries in the United States, A Dialogue on America’s Fisheries, Socioeconomic Perspectives on Marine Fisheries in the United States, Marine Reserves: A Tool for Ecosystem Management and Conservation, Ecological Effects of Fishing, Coastal Sprawl, Marine Pollution, Marine Aquaculture and Introduced Species.
  • National Coastal Condition Report (US Environmental Protection Agency) Report compiles and summarizes data sets from several agencies and areas of the country to present a broad baseline picture of the condition of coastal waters, primarily estuaries in the United States. Indicators of coastal conditions are derived from data on water quality, sediment quality, biota, habitat, and ecosystem integrity, as they relate to ecological and human health.
  • Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century (US Commission on Ocean Policy) 2004. Contains the Commission’s final recommendations for a comprehensive national ocean policy, along with supporting documents developed by the Commission.
  • Ocean Yearbook (International Ocean Institute) Annual (GC 1 O2) Contains topical articles on major ocean issues of the year ranging from political to scientific.
  • Our Living Oceans: Report on the Status of U.S. Living Marine Resources (US National Marine Fisheries Service) 1999 (print copies available in Docs C 55.13/2:NMFS-F/SPO #1) Presents national and regional overviews on the status of U.S. living marine resources.
  • Seas at the Millennium: An Environmental Evaluation (Sheppard) 2000 (QH 541.5 S3 S35 2000 ) Major three-volume evaluation.
  • State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) 2002 (print copy available in Docs C 55.402 Ec7) First-ever national assessment of the condition of U.S. coral reefs. Report identifies the pressures that pose increasing risks to reefs, particularly in “hot spots” located near population centers; assesses the health of reef resources; ranks threats in 13 geographic areas; and details mitigation efforts.
  • State of the Coast (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) 1998-2001. Series of essays on the health of the coastal areas of the United States.
  • Status of Coral Reefs of the World (Australian Institute of Marine Science) Biennial report includes individual regional chapters.

Data Sources


Oceanographers need access to data and the ability to combine data from a variety of sources. Beginning with the Challenger Expedition in 1872 vast quantities of marine environmental data has been collected by oceanographic expeditions and programs conducted by institutions, nations and international cooperatives. Data collected was originally published in encyclopedic sets. Sets available in the HSU Library are listed below under Historic Data Collections. Today remote sensing satellites and automated facilities scattered throughout the ocean basins supply a continuous flow of data which resides in numerous databases. See the Guides to Data and Modern Data Sources below.