Google Earth puts oceans on the map!

Google Earth 5.0 was launched this week, complete with a new feature that allows users to explore the ocean. You can now dive below the surface to check out coral reefs, scout prime surfing spots and learn about rare marine life like the prehistoric coelecanth, or dinofish.

The LA Times and SF Chronicle both ran big stories on the launch, which was kicked off with a San Francisco event headlined by Al Gore.

Gore, like the program’s creators, hopes people will use Google Earth to see for themselves how incredible our planet is, and how it’s changing.

Google Earth's new ocean feature includes footage from the BBC series Planet Earth and videos from Jacques Cousteau. The site is interactive, and is expected to grow quickly as users upload photos and comments about their favorite surf and dive spots.

Ocean was developed in partnership with marine science and educational organizations--including Monterey Bay Aquarium and Scripps Institute of Oceanography--and will highlight research, conservation efforts, and policy processes occurring in California and around the world.

This new technology will come in handy in California, where work is underway to create a new network of underwater parks, or marine protected areas along our coastline. Marine protected areas preserve key habitat, support healthy ecosystems, and provide great research and recreational opportunities.

Google Earth Ocean includes information, pictures, and stories from more than 4,500 marine protected areas around the world, including local spots like the Channel Islands. To date, only 5% of the ocean floor has been mapped in any detail, and less than 1% is designated as marine protected areas.

Check out Google Earth Ocean to learn more about our incredible undersea resources and the efforts underway to protect them!