VIIRS, or Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, is a method of boat detection via low light imaging data. The first VIIRS was launched in 2011 and the second in 2017. NOAA’s Earth Observation Group produces a nightly global mapping of VIIRS boat detections, which are available for open access download. VIIRS satellite uses highly sensitive optical sensors to see lights at night, thus being able to identify vessels that use light to attract catch, such as most industrial squid vessels and some types of purse seines that use lights.
