Twitter is taking us on a guided tour of the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow, July 13 – broadcasting live on Periscope. In two separate broadcasts, we will be able to both watch the reef live, and learn about how to protect it.
Mitch Oates will join marine experts and advocates including Andy Ridley, CEO of Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef and former founder and CEO of Earth hour.
The first broadcast is at 2pm AEST, and focuses on the work of Andy Ridley Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, a social movement which aims to unite people from around the world to combat the pressures to the planet’s biodiversity, including how to learn and care about the Great Barrier Reef.
While on the boat out on the reef, Mitch will interview Andy about how we can protect this stunning natural site for future generations.
The second broadcast will be at 12:30pm AEST. It will be a live reef dive, with Mitch taking a GoPro and diving mask underwater to show the world the reef. With his specialist scuba mask he will be able to answer your questions while diving through the coral ecosystem.
“The Great Barrier Reef Periscope Adventure” is supported by Tourism and Events Queensland.
“The Great Barrier Reef is a living treasure which is ours to protect and share with visitors from around the world,””said Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Leanne Coddington. “It is our most valuable tourism asset with around two million visitors experiencing it every year.”
Coddington says the Periscope Adventure will showcase the underwater wonder and allow people to engage with the Reef in an entirely new way, thanks to technology.
Twitter says it is already home to a strong community of marine biologists and reef activists, making it a good fit to promote awareness of the reef’s plight.
“Twitter, like no other platform, has an incredible way of breaking down barriers to participation, and of creating connections between people and places,” said Twitter Australia Head Suzy Nicoletti. “For this project, the Periscope broadcast becomes a literal underwater periscope, to connect our audience to a truly exotic place.”
“The Great Barrier Reef Adventure is just one small way to raise awareness of the reef around the world and inspire everyone, no matter where they are, to preserve this site for future generations to enjoy.”
You can watch the broadcasts on the Twitter Australia, TwitterAU), Queensland Australia, and Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef Twitter accounts.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2017/07/the-great-barrier-reef-isnt-on-unescos-list-of-world-heritage-in-danger-and-experts-are-divided/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/GreatBarrierReef-410×231.jpg” title=”UNESCO Says The Great Barrier Reef Isn’t ‘In Danger’ And Experts Are Divided” excerpt=”United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) just released its ‘List of World Heritage in Danger’, and it has one notable omission. The Great Barrier Reef.
Australian experts have spoken out about the exclusion.”]