Yesterday was World Oceans Day (it's okay if you missed it; you can make up for it today) and to celebrate, Google released an amazing new feature powered by its popular Street View technology: Street View Oceans. Working with a number of scientists and researchers, Google mapped well over 50 unique experiences around the world with GPS data to give the public access to the amazing life under the sea as well as to help track its growth and/or recession for scientific study.
Shot with the idea that the public won't support a cause without seeing it, this mapping project helps shed light on many disappearing, yet still vibrant coral reefs that can be saved around the world with the public's participation, care, and now, even greater appreciation.
Thanks to Smarter Every Day, we also have a fantastic behind-the-scenes video of how some of this footage was captured (above).
Whether it's to explore an AirBNB property, see where a far-away pen pal lives, or to compare changes from several years ago to a particular street today, we've all lost plenty of hours to Street View. Now, we can, will, and probably should lose a few more to the beauty of some of the world's greatest reef ecosystems — some completely naturally created, and others helped by the introduction of a shipwreck. You can see it all on Google's Street View Oceans page thanks to the company's collaboration with the XL Catlin Seaview Survey.
This is just the beginning of one view in Monaco. Dive down on Google's Street View Oceans page to see more, or explore another area of the world (like a number of Australian reef locations that were also shot for the project).
[via IFLScience]
