Feedback on my "Critter List" Please...

[huskychemist]

I posted this on NWDiver, and figured I'd post here also...as the audience is a bit bigger here.



I'm not sure my motivation, but I've been working on a "Critter List" for my web page for some time now...and have Version 2.0, which I'm calling "Pacific Northwest Marine Life." (As seen by me, of course...) Coachrenz and I started created a database based on taxonomy, but it got erased...so we're thinking of re-creating that at some point... So this is my attempt to organize the cool critters that are most of the reason I dive.

If you have time and interest, I'd like some feedback, either publicly or privately. I'm interested in general feedback, along with specific feedback regarding critters I might have misidentified, or critters I just don't have yet that are very common here, or other design/layout/organization feedback, etc.

http://scuba.huskychemist.org/PacificNorthwestMarineLife/index.htm


Thanks. And some of my inspiration comes from many of you on here...especially those that share your photography, and those that help with Critter ID. (Yes, I said this on NWDiver, but it's true here as well. Some of the pics that inspire me come from you Orca Baiters...and some come from the Canon Corner Forum I visit frequently...)

Thanks.

Lowell

 

[Sasquatch]

What an impressive effort. I spent some time looking and enjoyed it. I'll be back again.

(The only small criticism is that rogue "a" in the introduction)

Nice job!

 

[lamont]

very nice. i have this intention of doing something similar if I ever start getting out with my camera more often...

can you script up creating an alphabetical index of critters from your directory structure as well?

 

[huskychemist]

What an impressive effort. I spent some time looking and enjoyed it. I'll be back again.

(The only small criticism is that rogue "a" in the introduction)

Nice job!

Thanks for finding the rogue "a" in the introduction. It took a while to find it... And thanks for the kind words. Two things I hope for... More pictures of different creatures I have yet to see and/or photograph, and as my photography gets better, the "best" shot that goes on the index page for each phylum will get replaced with higher quality pics. Nice to have reasons to dive...like I need them. hehehe.

very nice. i have this intention of doing something similar if I ever start getting out with my camera more often...

can you script up creating an alphabetical index of critters from your directory structure as well?

Thanks. And I'd love to see your version if you ever get around to it. I think the original one I spotted was the "SeaOtter" site, which remains a great resource for me when I try to ID pictures. And I know some of my motivation may be selfish enlargement of an already over-inflated ego, but I check NWDiver and Orca Bait for other folks' pictures all the time. I love seeing what others are shooting, hoping to eventually get my own pictures of creatures I have yet to see...and get ideas for dive spots based on the pictures.

In terms of creating a script, I think that's a great idea...maybe having an "Unabridged Alphabetical List" with links to each creature page, similar to a Site Map, except only for the creatures... I'm not much for writing scripts, etc. My skills are pretty limited, and almost all of my work is done with FrontPage... But once it was created, adding to it would be pretty easy...


Thanks for the suggestions and feedback. Much appreciated.

 

[archman]

I think its great. The layout is simple and straightforward.

 

[airsix]

Awesome! I Love it. I spend most of my dives trying to figure out what I'm looking at - now I have something good to reference. Your site just got a prominent bookmark.

-Ben M.

 

[huskychemist]

Thanks for the feedback.

Airsix, thanks. Another site you might consider as a bookmark for IDing critters is: http://seaotter.com It's an outstanding site with good photography. And NorthwestDiver.com also has a "creature feature" that I've found useful, although many of the photographs come from SeaOtter.

The "Resources" page of my website lists a few others. And a few books... "From Whelks to Whales" is a great starting resource. But the one I use the most is an "Encyclopedia" type reference...can't remember the title...It is an amazing resource. I'll try to find the full name for you. It's a bit pricey... $69, but it's been worth it.

Have fun!

Lowell

 

[Biodiversity_guy]

This is a great learning tool! I did find that some of the thumbnails did not open when I clicked on them (e.g., Saddleback gunnel).

 

[huskychemist]

Thanks for finding my missing links... I just had a couple of GREAT dives last Thursday, so I had updated some of my pages. (Saddleback Gunnel was one of them...)

By no means do I think that my ID is 100% accurate...on another board, somebody suggested my great sculpin was actually a pacific staghorm sculpin...and I haven't figured it out yet. (Any thoughts anybody here?) And my soles...English...Rock...I have a hard time telling the difference... But it's been great for me to ID stuff as I see it...

Thanks again.