Google Maps Brazil Haven Island Expanding World Project

Google Team Mapping Island of Brazil Fernando de Nornha

A Team of Google Underwater Mapping is at Brazil Island of Fernando de Noronha expanding the world register of Underwater views launched in November and available for everyone online. Press of Brazil reported on the first days of December that the underwater digital mapping of Fernando de Noronha is but the “starting point” for Brazil subaquatic world google project.

Divers equipped with unique cameras and technology are taking to the depths of the island known for homing the largest world population of wild dolphins as well as rich biological forms.

“This is part of the greater project of expansion of Google Maps -to map the entire world,” Tomas Czamanski Nora technical responsible of the project in Latin America told BBC Brazil reported.

ABC Australia reported on the launch of the project of Google in the Great Barrier Reef past November 14th.

“Dolphins swimming in waters off Lizard Island, in far north Queensland. More than 100,000 high-definition images spanning the 2,300 kilometre reef system are now available on Google Map's 'Street View'. Google's popular Street View maps are taking a dive Down Under, with the launch of the world's first 3D mapping of the Great Barrier Reef,” the media reported.

Australian researchers Catlin Seaview Survey teamed up with Google to create the database, which allows people to virtually dive the World Heritage Area. Catlin Seaview Survey executive director Richard Vevers said researchers used a special camera to collect hundreds of thousands of images. The cameras used by Google in this project were specifically designed for the assignment. Google underwater views broke international news attracting millions of international viewers and promising to expand.

Google adds that the tracking can also be used for environmental, conservation and management issues as well as ecological studies of international importance.

"What we've revealed today is one of the most comprehensive records of the Great Barrier Reef that's ever been published," Google stated. Data can be used as a very accurate record for monitoring change in reef environments. The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN and Catlin participated in the Australia project.

In Fernando de Noronha Brazil the google team working for the world expansion of the Google database mapped 50 kilometers of shoreline and reached depths of 6 kilometers in just 12 days.

The gear used known as Trekker was rigged to divers as a special backpack. The technology utilizes a total of 15 cameras which allow for the capture of 360 degree views. GPS technology can tag every image to location. The project is one of the many in standby for full execution under the World Google Underwater Views Project.

Ocean Life News in Brief

Ocean Level Increase Dropping Oceans Floor: International Press reported on December 5 on the findings of new research which assures that due to ocean level increase the ocean floor is sinking. The study published online in Geophysical Research Levels used mathematical equations to accurately measure the Ocean's floor impact driven by the increased of water volume weight. Using data from 1993 to 2014 researchers found that ocean level increase is causing the Ocean floor to drop globally by the milimeters. Ocean Dead Zones Up By Four: On January 8 New York Daily reported that Ocean Dead Zones have quadrupled.Researchers warned in a new study that oxygen-starved ocean dead zones, where animals and plants are struggling to survive, have increased fourfold and it may not be reversible. The new study was published in the Journal Science. The increase of Dead Zones was linked to climate change. La Niña´s Polar Wave Hitting Hard the US -Freezing Oceans: International Press reported on the Polar Wave hitting hard the US. The event is linked by experts to the influence of La Niña. “For the past couple of weeks, parts of North America have been chilling down to record temperatures, with massive snowfall and icy cold conditions putting life at a standstill for many,” media reported. The US East Coast has been particularly badly hit with the likes of Boston down to Philadelphia reaching bone-chilling lows of near 0°F , with icy winds making it feel closer to around -10°F to -20°F. Officially 18 were dead and 100 million affected. Government of Bali Declares a Garbage Emergency: On January 5 Ocean Conservancy reported on a New Waste Management Emergency in Bali. Massive amounts of ocean debri are affecting the island. The situation has reached its peak as the Government of Bali declared a “Garbage Emergency”. Clean up works have began. “Ivory Coast Village Swallowed by Ocean Increase,” Aljazeera Reports: On January 8 Al Jazeera reported that ocean increase levels are affecting infrastructure in the Ivory Coast. “Rising tides and more frequent, devastating storms are slowly destroying what is left of Lahou-Kpanda, the offshoot of what was once a major colonial town near the mouth of the Bandama River, the longest river in Ivory Coast,” Al Jazeera reported. Arctic Ocean Radioactive Levels on the Rise: IFL Science reported on January 3 on the findings of new report which assures that radioactive levels in the Arctic Ocean are on the rise. “Concentrations of radioactive radium-228 in the Arctic Ocean increased between 2007 and 2015,” the report reads. While levels have not yet reached a mark of concern the trend is worries experts. Lauren Kipp of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution addressed the issue. New World Wide Ocean Turtle Study Says 90% of Plastic Pollution Cases Result in Death: Earth Sky Org reported on January 7 that hundreds of marine turtles die every year after getting tangled in trash in oceans and on beaches. A research published in the journal Endangered Species Research took on a World-Wide Survey covering the major oceans where turtles live. They discovered that 91 % of the entangled turtles were found dead. They also suffered serious wounds from entanglement, leading to maiming, amputation or choking. Double Whirlpools Discovered for First Time: December 4 Press reported that Double Eddies have been registered for the first time in History. Tangled up Double Eddies can travel great distances affecting ecology significantly. Eddies are a natural part of the ocean environment but double whirlpools had only been theorized by mathematicians.