Latest news with #SkyTruth
Japan Times
17-03-2025
- Science
- Japan Times
From oil spills to new species: How tech reveals the ocean
The ocean covers nearly three-quarters of our planet but scientists say we have barely scratched the surface of what lives in our seas. But new technologies are helping to change that, revealing hidden oil spills, speeding up the discovery of new species and uncovering how light pollution impacts marine life. Uncovering hidden oil spills Satellite imagery means large oil spills in the ocean are relatively easily detected. When a tanker crashes or a pipe bursts, scientists know where to look. But smaller pollution events can appear as nothing more than a thin streak against the smooth sea surface — the maritime equivalent of a needle in a haystack. "It used to take human analysts weeks if not months to be able to detect a single (small-scale) oil pollution incident," explained Mitchelle De Leon of U.S.-based NGO SkyTruth. The group harnesses machine learning to comb through large datasets of satellite imagery and find spills that might previously have gone undetected. SkyTruth has revealed spills in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and helped expose pollution from shadowy Russian ships. There are limitations to the technology, including determining the composition of a spill, but the group says it offers an early warning system for scientists, media and governments. "We think of our tool as a starting point ... to make hidden human pollution events more visible," said De Leon. Understanding light pollution We have long known that our obsession with lighting the night sky obscures the stars and confuses terrestrial animals, but what impact does it have on the sea? To understand that, scientists need satellite images to show how light spreads from coastal megacities, as well as complex models that can calculate how light penetrates the ocean, said Tim Smyth, a marine biogeochemistry specialist at Britain's Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Seawater generally absorbs more red light, but that can change in the presence of phytoplankton or high turbidity. "We're able to program computers such that we can model the light field under the water with a high degree of accuracy," said Smyth. His research found that 2 million square kilometers of ocean — an area 10 times the size of Britain — is affected by light pollution globally. The effects are profound, from disrupting feeding by fish and seabirds, to interfering with coral spawning and the nightly migrations of phytoplankton up and down the water column. The good news is "it's something we can do something about," said Smyth. Switching off unnecessary illuminations such as billboards and redesigning lights to reduce "spillage" into the sky will bring down costs and carbon emissions while benefiting wildlife on land and in the sea, he explained. Species discovery Advances in technology have allowed us to reach the ocean's darkest depths, but scientists estimate we know about just 10% of what lives in our seas. And before we even realize a new species exists, "we are losing that diversity," said Lucy Woodall, a marine biologist and head of science at Ocean Census. Launched in 2023, the global alliance of scientists aims to speed up the discovery of ocean species from coral to crabs. That works in part by collaborating with high-tech, lab-equipped research vessels where researchers can immediately start work on collected specimens. Genetic sequencing can now be done in the field, "which even 10 years ago would have been months and months worth of work back on land," said Woodall. On average, it takes more than 13 years from finding a possible new species to officially describing it for science. "We can't afford to wait for that," said Woodall. The project encourages scientists to share findings sooner, with an explanation of why they believe a species is new. It won't replace the slower work of proving new species with methods such as genetic testing, but it can accelerate knowledge at a time of urgency. The project has documented more than 800 new discoveries, which are shared on its open-access biodiversity platform. "We want to ensure that companies, countries, individuals really value the ocean and ocean life for what it does for them and our planet," said Woodall.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Shipping companies slammed with nearly $2M fine after deceiving US Coast Guard — here's what you need to know
Two foreign shipping companies have been banned from doing business in the United States after committing environmental crimes. The crimes occurred aboard the M/V ASL Singapore, a carrier owned and operated by ASL Singapore Shipping Limited and Jia Feng Shipping Limited. According to U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson, a routine Coast Guard inspection found the ship had used a "magic pipe" — a flexible hose attached to a portable pump — to discharge oily bilge water overboard. This action violated the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, also known as MARPOL, which regulates how such waste must be disposed of. The inspection also found that falsified oil record books had been presented to the Coast Guard in an attempt to hide that oily bilge water had been repeatedly dumped overboard since at least June 2023. The companies pleaded guilty, resulting in the ban and a combined $1.85 million in fines. The ship's chief engineer, Fei Wang, was separately sentenced to three months in prison and three years of supervised release. Bilge water, which gathers in the lowest part of a ship's hull, typically contains various oils and other contaminants from the ship's engine. When not disposed of properly, that oil becomes a major threat to marine life. Even small amounts of oil can be deadly to animals. It can coat wildlife's feathers or fur, preventing birds from flying or making fur less insulating. The toxins within oil can also cause major long-term health problems. Much of this pollution is carried out by companies that also boast about being environmentally friendly. This tactic, called greenwashing, is commonplace among polluters. Such corporations will use commercials and other public-facing means to promote green projects while continuing to damage Earth when few people are looking. Perhaps unsurprisingly, ASL Singapore Shipping Limited has a large section on its website dedicated to its sustainability efforts. Could America stop using oil and gas by 2050? For sure No way Only certain states could I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The M/V ASL Singapore is not the first ship to be fined, or banned from doing business, because of its illegal dumping practices. So far this year, several Greek shipping companies have been found guilty of polluting our waters and had to pay fines of $4.5 million and $1.1 million, respectively. There are also nonprofits, like SkyTruth, that use satellite images to detect oil pollution, which can frequently occur in remote areas of the ocean that are hard to monitor. SkyTruth's Cerulean tracking system is free for anyone to see when and where oil pollution has occurred. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Asharq Al-Awsat
14-03-2025
- Science
- Asharq Al-Awsat
From Oil Spills to New Species: How Tech Reveals the Ocean
The ocean covers nearly three-quarters of our planet but scientists say we have barely scratched the surface of what lives in our seas. But new technologies are helping to change that, revealing hidden oil spills, speeding up the discovery of new species and uncovering how light pollution impacts marine life. Uncovering hidden oil spills Satellite imagery means large oil spills in the ocean are relatively easily detected. When a tanker crashes or a pipe bursts, scientists know where to look, AFP said. But smaller pollution events can appear as nothing more than a thin streak against the smooth sea surface -- the maritime equivalent of a needle in a haystack. "It used to take human analysts weeks if not months to be able to detect a single (small-scale) oil pollution incident," explained Mitchelle De Leon of US-based NGO SkyTruth. The group harnesses machine learning to comb through large datasets of satellite imagery and find spills that might previously have gone undetected. SkyTruth has revealed spills in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and helped expose pollution from shadowy Russian ships. There are limitations to the technology, including determining the composition of a spill, but the group says it offers an early warning system for scientists, media and governments. "We think of our tool as a starting point... to make hidden human pollution events more visible," said De Leon. Understanding light pollution We have long known that our obsession with lighting the night sky obscures the stars and confuses terrestrial animals, but what impact does it have on the sea? To understand that, scientists need satellite images to show how light spreads from coastal megacities, as well as complex models that can calculate how light penetrates the ocean, said Tim Smyth, a marine biogeochemistry specialist at Britain's Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Seawater generally absorbs more red light, but that can change in the presence of phytoplankton or high turbidity. "We're able to program computers such that we can model the light field under the water with a high degree of accuracy," said Smyth. His research found two million square kilometers (770,000 square miles) of ocean -- an area 10 times the size of Britain -- is affected by light pollution globally. The effects are profound, from disrupting feeding by fish and seabirds, to interfering with coral spawning and the nightly migrations of phytoplankton up and down the water column. The good news is "it's something we can do something about", said Smyth. Switching off unnecessary illuminations such as billboards and redesigning lights to reduce "spillage" into the sky will bring down costs and carbon emissions while benefiting wildlife on land and in the sea, he explained. Species discovery Advances in technology have allowed us to reach the ocean's darkest depths but scientists estimate we know about just 10 percent of what lives in our seas. And before we even realize a new species exists, "we are losing that diversity", said Lucy Woodall, a marine biologist and head of science at Ocean Census. Launched in 2023, the global alliance of scientists aims to speed up the discovery of ocean species from coral to crabs. That works in part by collaborating with high-tech, lab-equipped research vessels where researchers can immediately start work on collected specimens. Genetic sequencing can now be done in the field, "which even 10 years ago would have been months and months worth of work back on land", said Woodall. On average, it takes more than 13 years from finding a possible new species to officially describing it for science. "We can't afford to wait for that," said Woodall. The project encourages scientists to share findings sooner, with an explanation of why they believe a species is new. It won't replace the slower work of proving new species with methods such as genetic testing but it can accelerate knowledge at a time of urgency. The project has documented more than 800 new discoveries, which are shared on its open-access biodiversity platform. "We want to ensure that companies, countries, and individuals really value the ocean and ocean life for what it does for them and our planet," said Woodall.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
From oil spills to new species: how tech reveals the ocean
The ocean covers nearly three-quarters of our planet but scientists say we have barely scratched the surface of what lives in our seas. But new technologies are helping to change that, revealing hidden oil spills, speeding up the discovery of new species and uncovering how light pollution impacts marine life. Uncovering hidden oil spills Satellite imagery means large oil spills in the ocean are relatively easily detected. When a tanker crashes or a pipe bursts, scientists know where to look. But smaller pollution events can appear as nothing more than a thin streak against the smooth sea surface -- the maritime equivalent of a needle in a haystack. "It used to take human analysts weeks if not months to be able to detect a single (small-scale) oil pollution incident," explained Mitchelle De Leon of US-based NGO SkyTruth. The group harnesses machine learning to comb through large datasets of satellite imagery and find spills that might previously have gone undetected. SkyTruth has revealed spills in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and helped expose pollution from shadowy Russian ships. There are limitations to the technology, including determining the composition of a spill, but the group says it offers an early warning system for scientists, media and governments. "We think of our tool as a starting point... to make hidden human pollution events more visible," said De Leon. Understanding light pollution We have long known that our obsession with lighting the night sky obscures the stars and confuses terrestrial animals, but what impact does it have on the sea? To understand that, scientists need satellite images to show how light spreads from coastal megacities, as well as complex models that can calculate how light penetrates the ocean, said Tim Smyth, a marine biogeochemistry specialist at Britain's Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Seawater generally absorbs more red light, but that can change in the presence of phytoplankton or high turbidity. "We're able to programme computers such that we can model the light field under the water with a high degree of accuracy," said Smyth. His research found two million square kilometres (770,000 square miles) of ocean -- an area 10 times the size of Britain -- is affected by light pollution globally. The effects are profound, from disrupting feeding by fish and seabirds, to interfering with coral spawning and the nightly migrations of phytoplankton up and down the water column. The good news is "it's something we can do something about", said Smyth. Switching off unnecessary illuminations such as billboards and redesigning lights to reduce "spillage" into the sky will bring down costs and carbon emissions while benefitting wildlife on land and in the sea, he explained. Species discovery Advances in technology have allowed us to reach the ocean's darkest depths but scientists estimate we know about just 10 percent of what lives in our seas. And before we even realise a new species exists, "we are losing that diversity", said Lucy Woodall, a marine biologist and head of science at Ocean Census. Launched in 2023, the global alliance of scientists aims to speed up the discovery of ocean species from coral to crabs. That works in part by collaborating with high-tech, lab-equipped research vessels where researchers can immediately start work on collected specimens. Genetic sequencing can now be done in the field, "which even 10 years ago would have been months and months worth of work back on land", said Woodall. On average, it takes more than 13 years from finding a possible new species to officially describing it for science. "We can't afford to wait for that," said Woodall. The project encourages scientists to share findings sooner, with an explanation of why they believe a species is new. It won't replace the slower work of proving new species with methods such as genetic testing but it can accelerate knowledge at a time of urgency. The project has documented more than 800 new discoveries, which are shared on its open-access biodiversity platform. "We want to ensure that companies, countries, individuals really value the ocean and ocean life for what it does for them and our planet," said Woodall. sah/cms/pbt
