2024-01-04 12:41:20
Two million gigabytes of satellite images from 2017-2021 were analyzed to detect marine infrastructure in coastal waters of six continents where more than three-quarters of industrial activity is concentrated. – 2023 GLOBAL FISHING WATCH
MADRID, 4 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
A new study published in the journal Nature offers unprecedented insight into the industrial use of previously uncharted ocean and how it is changing.
Led by Global Fishing Watch, the research uses machine learning and satellite imagery to create the first global map of large vessel traffic and infrastructure near the coast. finding a notable amount of activity that was previously “obscure” to public monitoring systems.
“A new industrial revolution has been emerging in our seas undetected, until now,” he said. it’s a statement David Kroodsma, director of research and innovation at Global Fishing Watch and co-lead author of the study. “On land, we have detailed maps of almost every road and building on the planet. By contrast, the growth of our ocean has been largely hidden from public view. “This study helps eliminate blind spots and sheds light on the breadth and intensity of human activity at sea.”
Researchers from Global Fishing Watch, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Duke University, UC Santa Barbara and SkyTruth analyzed 2 million gigabytes of satellite images spanning the period 2017-2021 to detect vessels and near-shore infrastructure in coastal waters from six continents, where more than three quarters of industrial activity is concentrated.
By synthesizing GPS data with five years of optical and radar imagery, researchers were able to identify vessels that did not broadcast their positions. Using machine learning, They concluded which of those vessels were likely engaged in fishing activities.
“Historically, vessel activity has been poorly documentedwhich limits our understanding of how the world’s largest public resource, the ocean, is used,” said co-lead author Fernando Paolo, senior machine learning engineer at Global Fishing Watch. “By combining space technology with machine learning from Last generation, “We map undisclosed industrial activity at sea on a scale never seen before.”
While not all ships are legally required to transmit their position, vessels without public monitoring systems, often referred to as “dark fleets,” pose significant challenges to the protection and management of natural resources. Study reveals that 75 percent of the world’s industrial fishing vessels are hidden from public view
Researchers found numerous fishing vessels hidden within many marine protected areas, and a high concentration of vessels in waters of many countries that previously showed little or no vessel activity according to public monitoring systems.
“Publicly available data wrongly suggests that Asia and Europe have similar amounts of fishing within their borders, but our mapping reveals that Asia dominates: for every 10 fishing boats we found on the water, seven were in Asia while only one was in Europe,” said co-author Jennifer Raynor, assistant professor of natural resource economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “By revealing the dark ships, we have created the most complete public picture available of global industrial fishing.”
The study also shows how human activity in the ocean is changing. Coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, fishing activity fell globally by around 12 percent, with an 8 percent decline in China and a 14 percent drop elsewhere. On the contrary, the activity of transport and energy vessels remained stable.
Marine energy development increased during the study period. Oil structures increased by 16 percent, while wind turbines doubled. By 2021, turbines will outnumber oil platforms. China’s offshore wind energy had the most striking growth, increasing nine-fold between 2017 and 2021.
“The footprint of the Anthropocene is no longer limited to dry land,” said co-author Patrick Halpin, a professor of marine geospatial ecology at Duke University. “Having a more complete view of ocean industrialization allows us to see new growth in offshore wind, aquaculture and mining that is rapidly adding to the established industrial activities of fishing, shipping and oil and gas. Our work reveals that the global ocean is a busy, crowded and complex industrial workspace of the growing blue economy“.
The study highlights the potential of this new technology to address climate change. Mapping all ship traffic will improve estimates of greenhouse gas emissions at sea, while infrastructure maps can inform wind development or help track marine degradation caused by oil exploration.
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