Ubiquitous Google strikes again
Google has already been good to Oceana, and now the online behemoth may be cooking up something else for the oceans.
Reports have surfaced that Google is planning an underwater counterpart to its popular Google Earth maps: Google Ocean. The company is keeping mum for the moment, but a global 3-D database of seafloor terrain could be a boon to amateur oceanographers and scientists alike.
Oceans may cover 71 percent of the world's surface, but very little is known about the seafloor. Most people think it's flat and sandy like the beach, but in fact the ocean is home to diverse geographic features from volcanoes to canyons to enormous seamounts. I think an accessible database like Google Ocean could really help people understand why something like bottom trawling is so devastating.
[Photo is a screenshot of a bathymetry map, which shows estimated depth of the seafloor. Image credit: David Sandwell and Walter Smith/Scripps Institute of Oceanography]
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Ocean Mapping... the Ominous side
I was wondering how much awareness your readers may have about the practice of satellite imaging used in generating plankton bloom mapping for the industrial fishing corporations. Would it interest them to know that ships are directed toward areas of the ocean likely to have profitable levels of fish in the water based on where the "fish food" is located? The logic may be a bit twisted, but this is akin to baiting animals to insure a successful hunt. It's about time that we stopped strip mining the oceans.
thanks for your input~
Historically, fishing ships have always known more about the ocean and its populations than scientists do. The first organized scientific exploration of the oceans wasn't until the early 20th century, 600-some years after international fishing expeditions got underway. Frankly, science is playing catch-up to the fishing industry. Just like Google Earth, I'm sure Google Ocean could be used for both good and evil. But hopefully good will win out.
Suzannah is Oceana's publications editor.