URI Census of Marine Life tacks ocean feature onto Google Earth 5, conducts worldwide marine research

02/12/09 - The University of Rhode Island's Census of Marine Life has recently teamed up with programmers from Duke University and Internet giant Google for first looks at new discoveries in the ocean.The census program consists of more than 2,000 scientists in 80 countries worldwide, gathering oceanic data in a 10-year plan to try to generate more understanding about the sea.

Google Earth now offers an ocean feature that includes a host of oceanic information, ranging from pictures of shark cafés to videos of deep-sea expeditions.

URI's Census of Marine Life was one of the major contributors of content for the update.

"What's really cool is that now every single person who downloads Google Earth 5 will automatically have access to a Census of Marine Life layer," director of URI's office of marine programs Sarah Hickox, said. "It's an amazing way for us to share the incredible findings of our program to a much broader audience."

When a new user logs onto the new version of Google Earth, they will be able to learn and discover species and forms of life that have, in some cases, literally never seen the light of day.

In one of the first "Voyages of Discovery" expeditions in Australia, scientists found 524 species of crustaceans and invertebrates, 33 percent of which were believed to be entirely newly discovered species. Another 25 percent were found to be new to the region, which helps scientists to track species migration.

The CoML puts out an annual report of their research and new findings, and most of that content goes right into Google Earth, Hickox said.

"[Many of these findings] are encapsulated in the 130 or so stories that we already have on the Census of Marine Life layer," she said. "Jay was mostly in charge of doing those stories."

Jay Harding, who is also working on the Census, was primarily responsible for putting the stories together and overseeing their production. He said in nearly all of these virtual expeditions there are video links, narratives, maps, images and geospatial data that enhance the viewing experience.

"The stories almost always have links in them that will take you to more information," Harding said. "So you find something you think is interesting, it will take you more cool stuff."

Harding said much of the funds for the Census come from donations given by energy and mining companies, that, besides leaving their names out of the program, "are pledging quite a significant sum of money to enable some of this research to be done," Harding said.

"It's an interesting synergy, but some of these energy conglomerates actually have foundations that sponsor this type of environmental work all the time."

Harding said while the Census is getting relatively consistent press coverage from overseas, America just does not seem interested in oceanic research.

"I think it's because this type of stuff makes bigger waves in the rest of the world than in the United States," he said. "A lot of my friends and family when they look at they say, 'Oh, that's pretty cool,' but if it came on the news you know they wouldn't sit and watch it.