"Google a Reef" Coming Soon!

[JackLuis]

Australia’s Barrier Reef to get Google treatment

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Reef-512x345.jpg

Australian scientists mapping the Great Barrier Reef will broadcast their findings in partnership with Google, emulating its “Street View” to spotlight the impact of climate change.

The University of Queensland’s Seaview Survey will use custom-designed cameras and diving robots to plumb never-before-seen depths of the reef off Australia’s northeast coast.

It is a scientific expedition with an everyman twist, according to chief scientist for the project, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg.

Ooh fishies!

 

[PennLady]

Sounds cool. We've been playing Endless Ocean on the Wii -- reef simulation.

 

[3113]

So Nemo can find his way home?

 

[TxRad]

So Nemo can find his way home?

So the spear-fishermen know where the good schools of fish are for the weekend.

(I hope everyone realizes that I'm joking)

 

[Handley_Page]

Perhaps they might go and investigate the Marianas Trench ?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

The reefs are dying due to ocean acidification, which is in turn caused by increasing amounts of CO2 in the air. CO2 dissolves in water to form carbonic acid:

CO2 + H2O --> H2CO3

Carbonic acid is a weak acid but still strong enough to have decreased oceanic pH by 0.1 pH units over the last century, (a drop in pH indicates an increase in acidity). It's the fastest rise in ocean acidity in 300 million years, well before the age of dinosaurs. The rising acidity dissolves the calcium carbonate that coral secretes to build the reef, and the coral die.

Reef 'bleaching' or die-off is happening the world over, and all reefs might well be gone by the end of the century. It's a much more serious and immediate problem than climate change.

I imagine some other agency is helping Google in monitoring reef die-off.