The launch of the Catlin Global Reef Record comes just before the release of the first working group report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) 5th Assessment Report.
Researchers say 500 million people globally depend on coral reefs for food and income and between one third and half of coral around the world have been lost in the last 50 years.
The project builds on a partnership with Google Street View last year which tried to provide a comprehensive record of the Great Barrier Reef.
When put together, the images allow people to choose a location along the Great Barrier Reef and go for a viewer-controlled virtual dive in Google Maps.
The survey incorporates 360-degree panoramic images also from across the Caribbean and its most recent expedition in Bermuda, which was launched on September 18.
“Our oceans are in an unprecedented state of decline due to pollution, over-fishing and climate change,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Director of the Global Change Institute at The University of Queensland, and Chief Scientist of the Catlin Global Reef Record.
“The data archive provided by the Catlin Global Reef Record and its partners will empower countries with information and analysis of the coral reef ecosystems at scales never before imagined so we can better protect these beautiful and important places before they disappear," he added.
Professor Hoegh-Guldberg says the Catlin Seaview Survey is made possible by three basic technological elements: 360 degree underwater cameras, image recognition computer learning technology and a deep-sea robot diving.
He says anyone around the world can contribute to the project.
"The survey is not just for scientists. It's going to be an open source for anyone or any organisation interested in coral reefs. It's there for anyone to help us with the science, but most of all to help us communicate the findings of the science".
Catlin Group Limited, a global specialty property and casualty insurer and reinsurer operating worldwide, sponsored the project.
The CEO of the company, Stephen Catlin, says it's time for insurers to take a leading role in improving the understanding of potential changes to our environment, changes that could affect how risks are managed in the future.
"Coral reefs are an intrinsic part of the structure of the world in which we live, and that's not just because of their beauty, but because they contribute to the economies around the world".
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