Google is working with the U.S. government scientists on a project that will allow people to get a 360-degree view of underwater locations through its Street View app.
The scientists are using specialized fisheye lenses to capture underwater images including coral reefs. The images available are currently concentrated in the Florida Keys, but the researchers are planning to document other marine sanctuaries from around the world in the next few weeks. Some of the images can now be viewed with Google Maps, Associated Press reported.
"This allows people who can't get underwater to understand what we mean by putting up a special preservation area around this particular spot," said Mitchell Tartt, chief of the conservation science division at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
To date, there have been 400,000 images captured from the Caribbean Sea and Australia. The current project marks the first time the technology will be introduced into the United States. The pictures captured from the U.S. waters will help scientists map the devastation caused by global warming, monitor the changes in the ocean's temperatures and discover the effect that natural disasters such as hurricanes pose on the coral reefs.
According to Tech Times, the images were captured by a camera that can cover up to 20 times more range than a conventional camera. The project, including the cameras and training of six NOAA officers, is funded by Catlin Seaview Survey and Google at a "fairly substantial" cost, Tech Times reported.
