Enjoy the Beauty of the Ocean Floor with Google Earth

Divers and conservationists throughout the world ocean will soon be able to enjoy the beauty of coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef, the largest collection of coral reefs in the world without the need to dive. All this thanks to Google Earth, which is working with its partners to offer a sea view in a different way. A research survey will map the Great Barrier Reef, which has not been done before, and allow virtual divers to enjoy the unique ecosystem through 360-degree angle.

Coral reef ecosystems are rarely seen and under the sea, photographed and mapped by a pair of unmanned underwater camera that has been done since September. "Most people who dive in the Barrier Reef is only up to a depth of approximately 20 meters. But 93 percent of coral reefs that there lies between 30 and 100 meters, where light can still penetrate and rarely delved into this area," says Ove Hoegh-Guldberg from the University of Queensland

Hoegh-Guldberg, who led the research project, and is a partner of Google, NGOs and sponsored by British insurer, Catlin. The pictures will be posted on Panoramio, Google Earh, Google Maps, YouTube and viewed in the viewer who made ​​360 degrees. With this project, said Hoegh-Guldberg, they will seek the help of a global audience in assessing the health and composition of the reef.

"The public can help us to more closely study and detail about the amount of coral and fish. Hopefully this virtual diving experience will raise awareness about climate change," he explained. "It also enables people and scientists to discover which species migrate as a result of climate change on their sea lanes," said Hoegh-Guldberg. New views of the sea has been unveiled at the World Ocean Summit in Singapore on Thursday, and for the first time has successfully brought together leading economists, CEOs and scientists.