Just finished playing with a new version of Google Earth, and it promises to be a fantastic dive-planning-research-gathering-marine-life-saving resource. Or timewaster depending on what takes your fancy.
The plaything of deskbound travellers' (or those who want to zoom into their own house from space as if an invading Martian) now includes some of the great dive spots in the world.
A new layer called Google Ocean aims to bring the Blue Planet to life by featuring large swathes of the ocean floor and abyssal plains.
It gives users a 3D exploration of the sea floor, allowing them to visit underwater volcanoes, run videos on marine life, shipwrecks, clips of favourite dive spots and includes info from the world's leading scientists, researchers, ocean explorers and conservation groups.
Sylvia Earle, the National Geographic Society's explorer in residence, who helped develop the programme said: "I cannot imagine a more effective way to inspire awareness and caring for the blue heart of the planet than the new ocean in Google Earth."
The Marine Conservation Society said they can now map for the public where in the world some of the most sustainably-sourced kinds of fish come from.
In a statement, the charity said: "MCS is tremendously excited by the sheer potential of Ocean on Google Earth. Its new features will help bring the ocean to life in homes, businesses and classrooms in a more visual form than ever before.
"Our first layer shows the fish available to consumers that can be obtained without risk of depleting stocks, a positive message to accompany the launch."
The plaything of deskbound travellers' (or those who want to zoom into their own house from space as if an invading Martian) now includes some of the great dive spots in the world.
A new layer called Google Ocean aims to bring the Blue Planet to life by featuring large swathes of the ocean floor and abyssal plains.
It gives users a 3D exploration of the sea floor, allowing them to visit underwater volcanoes, run videos on marine life, shipwrecks, clips of favourite dive spots and includes info from the world's leading scientists, researchers, ocean explorers and conservation groups.
Sylvia Earle, the National Geographic Society's explorer in residence, who helped develop the programme said: "I cannot imagine a more effective way to inspire awareness and caring for the blue heart of the planet than the new ocean in Google Earth."
The Marine Conservation Society said they can now map for the public where in the world some of the most sustainably-sourced kinds of fish come from.
In a statement, the charity said: "MCS is tremendously excited by the sheer potential of Ocean on Google Earth. Its new features will help bring the ocean to life in homes, businesses and classrooms in a more visual form than ever before.
"Our first layer shows the fish available to consumers that can be obtained without risk of depleting stocks, a positive message to accompany the launch."
Here's a quick example of what I found.
Thistlegorm - most of us have been there so it seemed an easy one. Zoom in close enough and you'll get an image of the liveaboards lined up (a familiar site for most of us). Click of the dive site symbol and it will show a nice pic of the gun on the stern. There is also footage from Cousteau's Silent World 1956 documentary. If you haven't been to the wreck it gives a nice introduction to where it is and what you can expect.
Nine boats1! Thistlegorm on a good day
Scapa Flow - you get a number of dive sites with pics including sonar images such as this of the SMS Dresden
4009 - that's the number given to a 4m long Great White Shark tagged off the coast of California and you can check out where she's been.
satellite track of 4009
Black bream - according to the MSC black bream caught in the English Channel are kind of okay to eat because they are caught in a reasonably sustainable way.
Zenobia - Oh my God!
Where has the past 90 minutes of my life just gone?
2 comments:
It's a really interesting application - did you see the great story that people thought they'd found the lost city of Atlantis off Africa, but in fact it was sonar echoes: http://tinyurl.com/d7wn3e
Amazingly, the story even made the front page of the Sun in the UK. Had to chuckle.
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