"The Great Barrier Reef, just off the Australia’s Queensland coast, is the largest structure in the world that’s composed of living organisms. (You can see it from space!) It’s a lush — and, visually, pretty magical — ecosystem, one that begs to be both explored and visualized. Scientists are doing both … with the help of an underwater incarnation of Google’s Streetview. Researchers at the University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute are teaming up with Google and the Catlin Coorporation to conduct a comprehensive study on the effects of climate change on the health of the coral polyps that compose the 1,600-mile-long reef. To conduct the study, the researchers have developed an underwater camera — the maritime version of Google’s Streetview Car — which is able to take 360-degree panoramic shots of its surroundings as it propels its way through the sea."
— Mapping the Great Barrier Reef (Using Google Street View) - Megan Garber - Technology - The Atlantic
