Later this month, the Natural History Museum will launch a Barrier Reef virtual diving experience. This allows you to explore Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and other coral reef systems without ever having to travel far. The gallery will become “Coral Reefs: Secret Cities of the Sea” and a bank of screens will transform the space into a 360 immersive experience. It’s akin to a Google Street View, but with the ocean floor. The Museum will be opening the new gallery on March th. It will include more 200 displays from its collection including Turbinaria coral and the blue-ringed, poisonous octopus Charles Darwin. It is possible to visit some of the most beautiful parts of the ocean without having to get wet. Image: Natural History Museum. The sound and light effects simulate the feeling of being under water. New technology will allow users to zoom in to explore different reefs around the globe. The Catlin Seaview Survey is a global scientific study on coral reefs around the globe. Many images were taken by the Catlin Seaview Survey. Catlin Seaview divers took pictures every three to six seconds using state-of the-art cameras. To create a panorama view, the images are placed together. Professor Ken Johnson of Museum Coral Reefs explains how important corals are. Many millions depend on coral reefs for their protection from storms, food and income. The Catlin Seaview Survey has been documenting the state of the global coral reefs since 2012. Catlin Insurance is sponsoring the entire project. (Image: Natural History Museum). Catlin Insurance wrote that the research Catlin supports focuses on oceans which are crucial to the ecosystem of the planet. Catlin Seaview Survey 2012 is an ambitious scientific endeavor that has documented coral reef health worldwide since [*]. Catlin Insurance, which sponsors the whole project, wrote: “The research Catlin sponsors focuses on the oceans, which play a crucial role in the planet’s ecosystem.” Coral Reefs Coral Reefs can be described as “rainforests” of the sea. They are home to some of the world’s most varied ecosystems. They only occupy 0.1% of ocean surface or about half of France’s area, but they are home to one quarter of all marine species. This includes mollusks and fish as well as echinoderms, tunicates, crustaceans, echinoderms and other cnidarians. One-quarter of marine life is found in coral reefs. Image: Natural History Museum. Coral reefs can be found in shallow waters in tropical waters but they also thrive in cold and deep water. These coral reefs are sensitive to temperature changes and currently face threats from overuse of their resources and blast fishing. The expansion of Miami’s port is creating lasting damage to coral reefs nearby, according to the US media. The Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for overseeing the drilling and promised that there would not be any harm to the corals in the region. The New York Times quotes Rachel Siverstein as the executive director of Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper. She is the leading environmental group that sued the Army Corps of Engineers. Siverstein said, “We have seen severe and profound impacts to our reef off of Miami. It looks like a lunarscape.” The fact that both the Corps and contractors didn’t follow the guidelines when they began this project is what caused the damage. BBC Video – Coral Reef Wonderland
