See full version: Great barrier reef australia google maps
Starting today, you can use Google Maps to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray and experience the reef at sunset. You can also find out much more about this reef via the World Wonders Project, a website that brings modern and ancient world heritage sites online. here
The Great Barrier Reef collection was part of the first group of underwater panoramic images added to Google Maps, the next step in our quest to provide people with the most comprehensive, accurate and usable map of the world. With these vibrant and stunning photos, you don't have to be a scuba diver – or even know how to swim – to explore and experience six of the ocean's most incredible living coral reefs. Now anyone can become the next virtual Jacques Cousteau and dive with sea turtles, fish and manta rays.
We partnered with The Catlin Seaview Survey, a major scientific study of the world's reefs, to make these amazing images available to millions of people through the Street View feature of Google Maps. The Catlin Seaview Survey used a specially designed underwater camera, the SVII, to capture these photos. Whether you're a marine biologist, an avid scuba diver or a landlocked landlubber, we encourage you to dive in and explore the ocean with Google Maps. here
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The Great Barrier Reef’s biodiversity is reason enough for it to be considered an exceptionally important area, but there are several other reasons why it should be protected. [links]
The Great Barrier Reef covers around 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 sq. mi). It runs alongside the northeastern coast of Australia, stretching southwards from the Torres Strait to a point just north of Fraser Island; a total distance of more than 2,300 km (1,428 miles).
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest single structure formed by living organisms. Its great size means that it can even be seen from the moon!
Each polyp secretes a substance known as calcium carbonate, which forms a hard exoskeleton in which the polyp lives. more
When the individual polyps die all that is left is their hard exoskeletons. Over the years these build up in their thousands to create the structures known as coral reefs. more
"With these vibrant and stunning photos you don't have to be a scuba diver -- or even know how to swim -- to explore and experience six of the ocean's most incredible living coral reefs," Brian McClendon, VP of Google Maps and Earth, said in a blog post announcing the feature. "Now, anyone can become the next virtual Jacques Cousteau and dive with sea turtles, fish and manta rays in Australia, the Philippines, and Hawaii."
New survey is designed to bring the undersea world to users around the world, as well as study the composition and health of the reefs.
Google is bringing the undersea world to the Internet's landlubbers. more
The Web giant today launched an expansion of its Map tool to take users on an adventure that includes colorful reef fish, coral forests, and rare turtles. The goal of the program is to allow people around the world to explore the ocean while also conducting the first detailed study of the composition and health of coral reefs. [links]
Among the experiences available to users recorded at the Great Barrier Reef is the chance to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray, or witness a sunset at the reef. Virtual vacationers yearning for a Hawaiian adventure can go snorkeling in Oahu's Hanauma Bay or drift over the corral and brightly colored fish in Maui's Molokini crater. here
Australian researchers Catlin Seaview Survey teamed up with Google to create the database, which allows people to virtually dive the World Heritage Area.
Mr Vevers said the researchers will return to the underwater sites in the future, to compare images and measure the impacts of threats like climate change and cyclones.
"It allows us to take full 360 [degree] images every three seconds as we're travelling along reef environments." more