[Coral-List] Announcing Early Release of Reef Ball World Mapping System

[Todd Barber]

Reef Ball World Mapping System
<https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1KrENaH-kJn_LCDrzCbgtW_1aW-ciY-M&usp=sharing>


To aid in monitoring aquatic habitat and coral restoration/rehabilitation
efforts and to share scientific studies, coordinates, partners, news,
videos & photos of the purpose-built reef (balls) we are building a
comprehensive Google Map featuring everything the Reef Ball Foundation has
done over the last 30 years.  This is VERY extensive with deep
informational links.

We invite scientists that have papers with direct relevance to
purpose-built reefs to send us their PDFs (or links to publishing houses if
they are behind paywalls and only available in the abstract) for linking.
If you are still WORKING on a paper but want it published in a format that
you can modify over time, just share with us a Google Document link to your
paper that has been publicly shared for anyone with the link and we will
link to that so when you update it it is updated in the map.

For linking,  please include the address of the primary author's
institution OR (preferably) the area where the study has relevance so we
can link it from a mapping perspective (anyone can find a publication in
Google Scholar if they know what they are looking for, but we aim to help
people find studies of local relevant to their purpose-built efforts).
Note that we are using AI to summarize the abstract and conclusion sections
of the reports to make them more user-friendly for nonscientific types
using the mapping system for other purposes. We are also using AI to
transform all coordinates into useful universal Google Maps coordinates
that will help everyone find locations easier.

If your organization has been involved in a Reef Ball project you can also
send us your address and website for similar inclusion.  We greatly
appreciate it if you have any GPS coordinates of Reef Balls not found in
the map.  Although our coordinates are very extensive in countries that
have good reporting, we are lacking site-specific coordinates in many
areas.  Scientists often have better access to the reefs they are
studying.  Note that anything you send us will be publicly available as we
are a public nonprofit.  Note that we realize sites being actively studied
may not want coordinates published, if there are sites published that you
want us to hide we are happy to do so, conversely look at your older
projects no longer being studied and consider releasing those
coordinates for others to study.

This version is still being populated with data but most geographic points
are in place (over time, each data point will contain more links to
information about any given deployment or location).

You are welcome to freely share this information and link.  If you find any
information in this map that needs update, please contact me directly by
email reefball at reefball.com.

Here is the direct code if you want to link it up from your resource pages.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1KrENaH-kJn_LCDrzCbgtW_1aW-ciY-M&usp=sharing

Thanks,

Todd R Barber
Chairman, Reef Ball Foundation
712 Portia Street North, Nokomis, FL 34275
941-720-7549 (Cell & Google Voice)
www.reefballfoundation.org
www.reefbeach.com (Reefs for Beach Erosion)
<https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1KrENaH-kJn_LCDrzCbgtW_1aW-ciY-M&usp=sharing>