The Catlin Seaview Survey (http://catlinseaviewsurvey.com/) has been taking a global census of reefs since 2012, and partnered with Google to bring the results to a monitor near you.

 

The idea is that scientists will be able to study these panoramic images to calculate how much human activities have harmed each site. Since 40 percent of the world’s coral has been lost in just the past 30 years, this survey will serve as a baseline for any further loss or possible renewal in the future.

 

Of Google’s various Street View stunts, this seems a very cool way to peruse picturesque and magazine-worthy coral landscapes.

 

You get a sense of what reefs stand to lose as ocean acidification, dredging, pollution, overfishing, and global warming all go to town on them over the next decades. It’s also a great argument for more marine protected areas.