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.

Global Fishing Activity 2016
In 2018, we published the first high-resolution map of global fishing activity. Our findings revealed that commercial fishing takes place across more than 55 percent of the ocean—a footprint, by area, greater than four times that of agriculture.
Combining four satellite technologies—automatic identification system, optical imagery, nighttime optical imagery and radar—with machine learning, we identified the largest reported case of illegal fishing.
By combining satellite data, machine learning and on-the-ground expertise from human rights practitioners, we identified vessels with a high risk of engaging in human rights abuses.
Research Partners
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Recent Work

Systematic Data Analysis Reveals False Vessel Tracks

July 29, 2021

Analysis of tracking data from automatic identification system broadcasts reveals vessel locations have been simulated for a number of ships, including military vessels. This false information could compromise vessel safety, decrease confidence in a crucial

New Map Revolutionizes Ocean Monitoring and Analysis

July 15, 2021

To better visualize activity at sea, Global Fishing Watch engineers new technology to power updated map Despite its overwhelming benefits and the value it brings to all life on Earth, the ocean remains one of

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