UK to dive into 'virtual Barrier Reef'

London's Natural History Museum is set to "guide" visitors into the colourful world of coral reefs, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

A women snorkels on the Great Barrier Reef

London's Natural History Museum is set to "guide" visitors into the colourful world of coral reefs. (AAP)

A "virtual dive" into the colourful world of coral reefs, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef, is one of the highlights of a new exhibition opening at London's History Museum.

More than 250 specimens from the museum's coral, fish and marine invertebrate collection will be on display, including six corals collected by Charles Darwin during his voyage on HMS Beagle from 1831 to 1836.

The exhibition, running from March 27, also features a four tonne aquarium containing 100 fish and 26 coral species.

Dr Ken Johnson, coral reefs researcher at the Natural History Museum, said: "We admire the beauty of coral reefs, but we often overlook just how vital they are for the everyday lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world.

"Not only are they home to a diverse range of life, but reefs provide valuable food, income and coastal protection."

Museum director Sir Michael Dixon said the specimens and scientific research in the exhibition also help understand the effect of human impact and climate change on oceans.

Other highlights include the one metre-wide giant turbinaria coral, home to thousands of marine creatures, and the largest living mollusc, the giant clam.

The virtual dive from Liquid Galaxy Google Earth will guide visitors along the Great Barrier Reef, Tubbahata Reef (Philippines), Hourglass Reef (Bermuda) and Komodo Island reef (Indonesia) through a chamber of circular screens.


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Source: AAP


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