Innovative research, harnessing AI and satellite imagery, shows the expanding footprint of human activity at sea, and reveals previously unmapped industrial use of the ocean and how it is changing.
Researchers have used machine learning to analyze 2 petabytes of imagery—five years’ worth of data—to illuminate vessel activity and offshore development in coastal waters across six continents.
The datasets, which map global ocean infrastructure and vessels that aren’t publicly broadcasting their positions, can help advance policy conversations about offshore renewables development, provide insight into carbon dioxide emissions from maritime vessels and enable marine protection.
Story by Google and Global Fishing Watch
