~ Early Web Links ~

Fishes of Australia is a comprehensive reference database hosted by Museums Victoria on behalf of the OzFishNet community, covering the diversity and biology of Australia's marine and freshwater fish species. Visitors can explore an interactive Lucid Key for identifying freshwater fishes, a picture-based Family Finder, and detailed species profiles like the rare Whiskered Prowfish.

Created by Leslie Taylor, this extensive tropical plant database catalogs hundreds of Amazonian medicinal plants by common name, botanical name, ethnic uses, and healing properties. A leader in rainforest plant research since 1995, the site offers deep reference content including preparation methods, disease applications, and articles distinguishing herbs from drugs.

Oiseaux.net is a comprehensive ornithological portal covering more than 10,000 bird species worldwide, complete with species sheets, photos, drawings, birdsongs, and thematic files for all skill levels. The site also features identification tools powered by artificial intelligence, birdsong quizzes, games, a forum, and curated news from the ornithological world.

Created by Dick and Sandy Daniels, this site functions as a comprehensive online field guide covering over 10,000 bird species organized by genus and family, making it easy to compare related birds side by side. Entries span every major region of the world including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, with links to additional information for each species.

Bill Standley's curated directory of internet resources for wildlife ecologists, organized into categories covering federal and state organizations, professional and non-profit groups, universities, and taxa such as mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. The site also indexes resources for endangered species, fisheries, aquatic ecology, jobs, and wildlife-related products like telemetry equipment and optics.

The archived web presence of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) at the National University of Singapore, now preserved after the museum was renamed and relocated as the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in 2014. Visitors can explore decades of biodiversity research, newsletters, symposium records, and an extensive 19th-century fauna of Singapore catalog with over 1,700 taxonomic entries.

Stanislaus runs this enthusiastically nerdy site dedicated to prokaryotes and bacteria, complete with a gallery, wiki, and guestbook hosted on Neocities. The playful 'Bacteria Intensive Care Unit' theme and self-described obsession with microbiology make it a charming corner of the web for fellow microbe enthusiasts.

The Virtual Cell is an interactive educational tour of a biological cell, using extensive imagery to guide visitors through cellular structures and components. The included pronunciation guide and visual-heavy layout suggest this is a reference resource designed to help students and curious learners explore cell biology in an engaging, self-guided format.

Sephonicus has built a personal homepage dominated by science-themed imagery, with repeated 'SCIENCE!!!' alt texts suggesting an enthusiastic celebration of scientific topics. The site is sparse in text but leans heavily into a science identity through its visuals and branding.

Thomas J. Elpel's plant identification hub teaches visitors to recognize wildflowers, weeds, and edible plants by learning the patterns of plant families rather than memorizing individual species. The site complements his book 'Botany in a Day' and includes slideshows, weed ecology, foraging guides, mushroom information, and online classes.