
Amateur oceanographers or curious travellers no longer have to leave the comforts of home to reach the depths of the ocean floor.

Researchers are creating a Google ‘street view’ of the world’s coral reefs and other underwater scenes with 360-degree photos that reveal the marvels of marine life in stunning detail.

The captivating panoramas show the wonders of the ocean like they have never been seen before.

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Under the sea: With more than 400,000 photos, Catlin Seaview Survey is creating a 'street view' of reefs around the world

Haunting: A submerged statue of Jesus Christ is covered in corals off the coast of the Florida Keys in the US

Researchers are using a basketball-shaped camera that is capable of capturing 360-degree images in stunning detail

Catlin Seaview Survey, the team behind the project, partnered with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries this week to map coral reefs in a highly-protected area of the Florida Keys in the US for the first time.

One of the most fascinating images captured by the crew’s 360-degree cameras shows Christ of the Abyss, a bronze sculpture covered in corals, at the bottom of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

The haunting statue was deliberately dropped in the water in 1965, and it depicts Jesus Christ with his arms raised toward the ocean's surface.

Back to school: Scientists are learning how to use an underwater camera to map the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Christ of the Abyss, a bronze sculpture covered in corals, was deliberately placed on the sea floor in 1965

The sanctuary surrounding the archipelago at the southern tip of Florida offers world-class diving, swimming, snorkelling and fishing for visitors, but not everyone can afford to go there.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is the world’s third largest barrier reef with more than 6,000 species of marine life and shipwrecks.

The online gallery, described as scuba diving from your computer, gives people a glimpse of what they’re missing.

Mitchell Tartt, chief of the conservation science division with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, said: ‘This allows people who can't get underwater to understand what we mean by putting up a special preservation area around this particular spot.’

The team’s basketball-shaped cameras are tethered to scuba divers and powered by small motors.

Catlin is teaching US scientists to use a panoramic camera that will allow them to map and record reefs in the country’s protected areas, document any changes to the vulnerable ecosystem and educate the public about conservation efforts.

New depths: Catlin Seaview Survey has already mapped portions of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and underwater mountains off Galapagos Islands in South America

By mapping reefs, scientists will be able to document any changes to the vulnerable ecosystems and educate the public about conservation efforts

Catlin started its underwater survey in 2012, snapping more than 400,000 photos.

It has already shared incredible scenes from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, colourful ecosystems in Hawaii and Philippines and underwater sea mountains off the Galapagos Islands in South America.

Thanks to the group’s efforts, travel buffs can now browse a collection of high-resolution images on Google Maps and other websites.

The mapping is taking place as the world’s reefs are in a dramatic state of decline.

Catlin says over 40 per cent of the world’s corals have been destroyed over the last 30 years due to pollution, destructive fishing and climate change.

If the decline continues, it will pose a major threat to 500 million people who rely on coral reefs for food, tourism income and coastal protection.