Google Earth takes a swim

Emma Hughes | Oct 9, 2008 8:06 AM

What lies beneath

GOOGLE EARTH is soaring from on high to plummet beneath the world's oceans in a bid to educate and expand people's knowledge of the dark depths.

During this year Google Earth and Google Earth Outreach have been working with others in order to come up with a way to fill this gap of knowledge.

The main aim is to educate internet users in marine protection and the nature reserves that lie beneath us.

Thanks to the 4th World Conservation Congress in Barcelona a IUCN WCPA marine layer through Google Earth Outreach which shows the protected areas of the sea and allows users to share pictures, videos and stories about local sites.

This new feature also shows place marks pointing to protected areas, sanctuaries and fish nurseries (not a place to take your goldfish while you're at work).

Google, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and its global commission of scientific experts have come together to provide this illustrated image of global ocean protection using Marine Protected areas (MPAs).