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| Satellite image: NASA |
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, supporting 400 coral species, 30 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, six species of sea turtles, 125 species of sharks, stingrays, and skates, 5,000 mollusc species, 215 bird species, 1,500 fish species, and more. The
Catlin Seaview Survey, sponsored by Catlin (UK), the University of Queensland, Google, and the Global Change Institute, and led by chief scientist Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, is undertaking a comprehensive study to document the composition and health of the reef system in order to provide a baseline from which to measure change. Robot cameras will take 360-degree shots of the area's shallow and deep reefs, which will then be mapped and uploaded online to YouTube, Google Earth, Google Maps, and Panoramio. Results from a six-day pilot survey are available
online. Scientists hope to document changes in sea temperatures and calcification rates and bleaching events, and to raise public awareness.
Read more about the project in the
media release and in Jonathan Watts' Guardian
article.
