UNDERWORLD 360 PROJECT

Virtual diving' becomes a reality as 360-degree panoramas

Armchair scuba divers across the world and marine conservationists will soon be able to immerse themselves in the most spectacular survey of the Great Barrier Reef ever undertaken, thanks to a new research project unveiled by conservationists and backed by Google on Thursday.

Tens of thousands of 360-degree, high-definition panoramas of underwater forests, grasslands and crags will be taken by robot cameras, mapped and made available on the internet as a result of the collaboration, which will seek help from a global audience to assess the health and composition of the 2,300km-long reef.

Underworld 360 project

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The scientists and conservationists behind the Catlin Seaview Survey hope the attraction of "virtual diving" will also raise awareness about climate change, coral bleaching, deepwater ecology and the breeding habits of invertebrates that may only be able to spawn once a month by the light of the full moon.
The survey, which is sponsored by the UK-based insurance company Catlin and backed by NGOs, research institutes and the University of Queensland, was unveiled at the World Ocean Summit in Singapore. The expedition will start in September, with images expected to be available soon after on a dedicated YouTube channel as well as Panoramio, Google Earth, Google Maps and a custom-made 360-degree viewer.
Images are already online from a six-day pilot mission, when scientists said they found a new species of pygmy seahorse and four types of coral that had never been seen in the region.
Many more discoveries are likely as 93% of the reef is unexplored because it is too deep for scuba divers. The chief scientist for the project, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, said the survey would reveal one of the last frontiers of the Earth to the public.
"This is like going to the Amazon in 1800," said Hoegh-Guldberg. "Millions of people will be able to experience the life, the science and the magic that exists under the surface of our oceans."
The study will focus on three areas: shallow reefs will be captured in colourful 360-degree panoramas, deep reefs will be shown in more limited detail due to the lack of light, and there will also be an effort to track the migration and breeding patterns of manta rays, tiger sharks and green turtles.