Tools
We build powerful, open-source tools that turn satellite imagery and geospatial data into environmental insight. Combining advanced analytics with deep expertise in remote sensing, our tools expose oil spills, reveal the impacts of mining, and measure global progress toward protecting the planet—bringing to light human activities often hidden from view. All of our tools are free to use, helping journalists, advocates, and policymakers see what’s happening to our planet and take action to protect it.
Cerulean
Exposes Chronic Oil Pollution
Exposing the Environmental Costs of Offshore Oil: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Oil Slicks, and Flaring.
As part of the Open Ocean Project, SkyTruth made detailed data about threats from FxOs and conventional fixed infrastructure available to the public for the first time. Building on our earlier work to map the locations of all offshore infrastructure, our team analyzed satellite imagery to quantify three core elements of the environmental footprint from offshore oil and gas — oil pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and methane flaring. Read more
Empowering Ocean Advocates
On Slicks and Satellites: An Open Source Guide to Marine Oil Spill Detection
SkyTruth contributed technical expertise to Bellingcat's 2024 open source guide to marine oil spill detection, with Cerulean highlighted as a key tool for identifying and tracking oil pollution at sea. Read more
Reveals Pollution Hotspots
Visualizing the Threats of Fossil Fuel Expansion in the Coral Triangle
Earth Insight and SkyTruth co-authored a report on the threats of oil and gas exploration in the Coral Triangle region of Southeast Asia, presenting the findings at the UN Biodiversity Conference and securing major media coverage of the issue and report. Read more
Increases Maritime Accountability
Data Exposes Oil Pollution in the Black Sea and Strengthens Call for Protections
Regional Greenpeace organizations partnered with SkyTruth to conduct joint investigations using satellite imagery and AI-powered analyses to examine local pollution from shipping and oil and gas activity in the Black Sea. The findings gained media attention and strengthened calls for protection, including plans for a joint Bulgaria–Romania marine protected area. Read more
30x30 Progress Tracker
Tracks Conservation Progress
On track or off course? Assessing progress toward the 30X30 target for the ocean
In 2022, the world’s nations committed to effectively conserve at least 30% of the Earth’s land and ocean by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). This report provides insights into the current status of global ocean conservation and five key recommendations for governments to improve and speed up action for ocean conservation. Read more
Democratizes Data
Custom Multi-Country Regions
30x30 Progress Tracker users can now view progress by multi-country regions, rather than only by individual countries. This feature came directly from advocacy groups who told us: regional cooperation is key to reaching 30x30, and they needed a way to tell that story. Whether you're tracking progress across the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, or any custom region, you can now see how neighbors are working together toward this critical goal. Read more
Evaluates Protection Effectiveness
Terrestrial Protected Area Effectiveness: Measuring What Matters
As countries worldwide rally to protect 30% of land by 2030, the question isn’t just how much land is protected, but how well it’s protected. Are these “protected” areas truly shielding ecosystems from human pressures, or are they just “paper parks” — protected in name only, without real enforcement or ecological impact? Read more
Increases Transparency
Exportable Views
You can now export your custom map view from Conservation Builder to embed into presentations or illustrate planning documents. When used in combination with custom layers, exportable map views become a powerful tool for communicating possible conservation scenarios toward achieving 30x30 goals. Read more