What is the Great Barrier Reef?

          The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef and is a home to an extremely diverse ecosystem (UNESCO, 2012). The Great Barrier Reef is also one of the seven natural wonders of the world (7 Natural Wonders, 2008). The reef consists of “1,500 species of fish, 411 types of hard coral, one third of the world’s soft corals, 134 species of sharks and rays, six of the world’s seven species of threatened marine turtles, and more than thirty species of marine mammals” (WWF, 2012) The reef not only provides ecological benefits, but also offers economic benefits to the Australian economy by providing 63,000 people with employment and contributing $5.4 billion annually through reef industries (WWF, 2012).

Image is taken by Sloan Bragg
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2011/entries/81876/view/

          Google Maps added to “Street View” their first underwater panoramas in September 2012 using the SVII to take 360-degree panoramic images. This allows the viewer to see underwater forests and marine life as if they were diving at The Great Barrier Reef (Watts, 2012). 

Image taken from Google Maps of Heron Island, Australia

Image of a diver with the SVII to capture 360-degree images of The Great Barrier Reef.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2012/feb/23/virtual-diving-panoramas-great-barrier-reef-in-pictures?intcmp=239#/?picture=386387541&index=3

Sources:

1. "Great Barrier Reef." The Seven Natural Wonders. Web. 30 Nov 2012. <http://sevennaturalwonders.org/the-original/great-barrier-reef/>.

2. "Great Barrier Reef." UNESCO. UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2012. Web. 30 Nov 2012. <http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154/>. 

3. "Great Barrier Reef." WWF Australia. WWF, 2012. Web. 30 Nov 2012. <http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_the_natural_world/oceans_and_marine/priority_ocean_places/great_barrier_reef/>.Watts