Google Reef View – Looks like Google is collaborating with the University of Queensland, and the Caitlin Group to survey Australia’s Greet Barrier Reef and bring it into the tech giant’s popular Google Street View part of Google Maps. The Catlin Seaview Survey will perform a diagnostic on the reef system’s health via a panoramic underwater photographic and video survey — something you’ll eventually be able to see from your computer.

It appears the google reef view program already has started with some preliminary surveys and has plans to start the main survey of the reef in September. Three separate surveys from 20 points from around the reed will use 360-degree cameras (according to Gizmodo, using four fish eye lenses SLRs to capture the images) attached to the front of a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) for the shallow-water portions. The tem plans on enlisting robotic subs for any surveys between 30 and 100 meters.

The survey group also is looking to study how and if the migratory behavior of tiger sharks, green turtles and manta rays has been affected by global warming.

Starting today Internet users should be able to access these images via Google Street View but if you can’t find it, follow along on the Caitlin Seaview Survey’s YouTube channel. Check out the video below to see what the project hopes to accomplish and how it will work.

[Gizmodo via University of Queensland via  New Scientist]