The Gulf Stream is a major component of the North Atlantic circulation. This World Wide Web site, developed as a student project, presents a chronology of the major historical events in the development of our understanding of the Gulf Stream characteristics, a description of observational techniques, and a discussion of its significance for weather, climate and naval operations. The historical treatment includes examples of the earliest nautical charts indicating the location of the Stream, along with brief biographies of many of the scientists who made important contributions to Gulf Stream oceanography. The observational techniques discussed range from early and modern in situ instruments to present day satellite observations with infrared, optical and microwave remote sensors. In addition to on-line access via the Internet, the site is available as a CD-ROM with a Netscape browser interface for use on desktop computers