Google has updated its Street View service to include views of ocean underwater. Even though ocean occupies three-fourth of the earth’s surface, but unfortunately, ocean life is the most ignored and over-looked domain. But global warming, pollution, cargo accidents equally jeopardize ocean life. Hence, Google Maps Street View has brought new proliferation in the app which would go deep under the ocean. Just like Google Earth lets you look at the sky, the starts and galaxies, Street View will now let you see deepest levels under water in the oceans. Interesting it sounds, is’nt it?
World Environment day is celebrated on June 8 every year and this year, to celebrate Environment day, Google has entered into partnership with Catlin Seaview Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Chagos Conservation Trust. The main aim of the partnership is to extract underwater imagery over 40 locations around the world. As of now, Street View will now allow users to explore the deep blue waters of the Bahamas, the coral reefs of the Pacific, the beaches in Bali, among many others. Soon coverage on other areas will follow.
Google says:
Mapping the ocean is key to preserving it. Each image in Google Maps is a GPS-located digital record of these underwater and coastal environments, which can be used as a baseline to monitor change over time. This comprehensive record of coral reefs showcases the beauty of these ecosystems and highlights the threats they face, such as the impact of increasing storms in the Great Barrier Reef and of rising water temperatures, factors causing the reefs to bleach white.
Google’s partnership for the inclusion of ocean life in the Google Maps Street View program are:
1. NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: Expanding our current partnership to bring unprecedented access to American marine protected areas
2. Reef Check: Engaging and training volunteer citizen scientists to participate in ocean mapping and data collection
3. Blue Ventures: Developing locally-managed marine areas for biodiversity and the benefit of coastal people throughout Madagascar and the Indian Ocean
4. Our World Underwater Scholarship Society: Providing a program of firsthand underwater-related experiences to selected scholars across the world
5. GUE’s Project Baseline: Empowering a global network of highly skilled SCUBA divers to create a lasting visual legacy of underwater conditions in oceans, lakes, rivers, springs, and caves all over the world
