Global Fishing Watch (GFW) is a global leader in revolutionizing ocean monitoring and analysis with the aim of sharing this information to enable fair and sustainable use of the ocean. The Ocean & Fisheries program at the Environmental Markets Lab (emLab) has been closely collaborating with the GFW team for years to harness the power of GFW’s cutting-edge technologies to increase transparency of human activity in the world’s oceans to inform innovative, equitable, and effective policy and management solutions.
As climate change poses a significant threat to our world, improved understanding of how much greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as carbon dioxide, are produced as a result of ocean-based activities may improve monitoring and management of these emissions. New GFW datasets may be an important building block for understanding ocean-based vessels carbon emissions, which have not yet been quantified across all vessels at a global scale nor made publicly available. This project will focus on developing a model that quantifies fossil fuel emissions from all ocean vessels broadcasting Automatic Identification System (AIS), and identifying research questions and approaches which can leverage this novel dataset. Accurate emissions data will allow us to unlock and inform various types of policy and/or market-based solutions that could aid in the reduction of at-sea GHG emissions.
emLab will work closely with GFW, as well as consultants such as Mark Powell, to create a new and robust model that assesses and quantifies global at-sea GHG emissions from AIS-broadcasting vessels. This collaboration will leverage the preliminary proof-of-concept model that emLab developed for measuring carbon emissions from AIS-broadcasting vessels. GFW will refine this model with technical guidance and advice from emLab.
Align on recent and upcoming advances in GFW technologies regarding AIS-broadcasting vessels, emLab’s preliminary GHG emissions models, and expectations regarding model and eventual dataset development.
Develop approach for and execute refinement of AIS-broadcasting vessel carbon emissions model. GFW will lead this objective, with emLab providing technical advice.
Identify key research questions and priorities that leverage and advance these data and platforms to improve ocean management related to global GHG emissions,
Develop plan for how data products will be published into existing or new GFW platforms. We expect this process to uncover important opportunities for open data and ocean monitoring to improve existing or possibly new institutions and policy.