Research
Scientific collaboration to support a sustainable ocean
Advances in machine learning and satellite technologies can transform human management of the ocean, but taking advantage of these technologies requires effective partnerships and an interdisciplinary team.
At Global Fishing Watch, we connect machine learning experts with leaders in the scientific community to produce new datasets, publish impactful research and empower others to use our data.
Our collaborations contribute to discoveries and solutions critical to marine conservation, global economics and human welfare. These partnerships help us better understand the role commercial fishing plays in the physical, biological, economic and political factors of the ocean and ensures that we are addressing the most urgent ocean challenges.
Results generated from these collaborations can be found on our publications page.
Resources
In this video, research partners Kristina Boerder of Dalhousie University and Quentin Hanich of the University of Wollongong, speak to the value of Global Fishing Watch data to support research into pressing questions in fisheries research.
R package to support data analysis
Global Fishing Watch enables the research community to access data from its application programming interfaces, or APIs, directly through R—a specialized programming language for data processing, statistical analysis and data visualizations. The package, called gfwr, allows R users to request data from Global Fishing Watch’s APIs and receive data in a tidy format suitable for incorporation into new or existing R workflows. Installing gfwr gives academics, researchers, students and journalists the ability to easily pull data for analysis without any prior API experience.
See how we empower others to use our data here.
Research Partners
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,
International Organizations Launch Collaborative Initiative in Fight Against Illegal Fishing
The Joint Analytical Cell aims to bolster fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance Costing the global economy billions of dollars in lost revenue each year, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is impacting the health
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