Harnessing the power of Google Earth for seagrass conservation in the Comoros Islands

Graduation date: 2010Google Earth has given internet users the power of a virtual globe at their fingertips. It is\ud a free, easy to use tool that avoids the need for technical training, and uses a simple,\ud intuitive interface. For this reason, Google Earth appeals to general and more specialized\ud users. This project describes a case study of the use of Google Earth as a user-friendly\ud and cost-effective tool for the conservation of seagrass in the Comoros Islands. The case\ud study uses a baseline seagrass mapping study to help demonstrate the potential of Google\ud Earth to be used by management agencies, non-governmental organizations, scientists,\ud and the general public for marine conservation in developed and developing countries.\ud The final product is a Google Earth file which includes GIS map layers of the seagrass\ud coverage and distribution within the study area, 3-D graphs of the results, species\ud profiles, a series of educational placemarks that guide the user through the importance of\ud and threats to seagrass, and documentation of the methods used in the seagrass survey.\ud All of this information is contained within a single file that can be easily and freely\ud shared with anyone who has internet access. Specialized users such as management\ud agencies, non-governmental organizations, and scientists are likely to find\ud this tool most useful to visualize and communicate GIS data. For general users, the\ud Google Earth file will provide awareness of seagrass ecosystems and the opportunity to\ud explore data from a previously unstudied remote area, potentially narrowing the gap\ud between science and the public. The use of Google Earth opens endless possibilities for\ud easy data dissemination, collaboration, and education to a wide-audience across the\ud globe