Projects
Our research and innovation projects harness the potential of satellite technology and machine learning to analyze big data and shed light on some of the most pressing issues facing the ocean. Drawing on remote sensing and vessel positioning data, we collaborate with partners from academia, science and advocacy communities to publish impactful research on illegal fishing, forced labor, transshipment, vessel traffic and other human activity in the marine world—all while empowering others to use our data to help achieve more sustainable ocean governance.
Recent work
Emerging technology gives first ever global view of hidden vessels
Satellite radar and machine learning publicly reveal previously unseen vessel activity around the world Washington, D.C. – Global Fishing Watch has developed and publicly released the first ever global map of previously undetected dark fleets,
Satellite Technology Can Reveal Collision Risks for Whale Sharks
Global Fishing Watch data helps researchers link shipping traffic to whale shark fatalities The whale shark is the world’s largest fish, with adults weighing up to 5,000 pounds and reaching up to 20 meters in
Satellite Data Casts Light on Seamounts at Risk
Emerging tools and datasets help quantify fishing pressure and can inform management at remote, unmonitored seamounts Seamounts—large underwater mountains— hold vital biological diversity, but they also contend with heavy exploitation. Numbering in the tens of
New Techniques Reveal Fishing Vessel Identities in the Dark of Night
New Global Fishing Watch technology merges nighttime images with GPS datasets to observe vessels not broadcasting their positions When the sun sets, human activity on the ocean goes on. And every night, satellites snap a