The global conservation group WWF has also built a layer in Google Earth highlighting points around the world that are undergoing dramatic shifts. People can zoom into to read about the changing look of Las Vegas because of population growth, or of Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and primary sea port (pictured here).
"In a 15-year period, coastal area developed for shrimp aquaculture grew by approximately 30 percent. In this pair of satellite images, the loss of mangroves and growth of the aquaculture industry can be seen along the coast and in the altered dendritic patterns (branching like a tree) of coastal waterways. Converting mangroves to aquaculture ponds has wide-reaching environmental implications," according to the WWF.
Photo by Google Earth
