A first of its kind effort is uniting technology and the
resources of the shipping industry to collect pollution data and build
comprehensive maps designed to inform and empower government and NGO
environmental efforts. Launched by the not-for-profit organization Eyesea, seafarers,
ship owners, managers and maritime professionals are pledging to support the
initiative collecting data that Eyesea will process and analyze.
Approximately 60 commercial ships and several superyachts
are currently preparing for sea trials of the beta version of the Eyesea app,
the nonprofit announced. The reporting tool allows seafarers to collect and
submit data on marine pollution by simply taking a photo and categorizing the
pollution type. Images are then automatically GPS-tagged, anonymized, and
vetted before being incorporated into a comprehensive database of pollution to
enable Eyesea to create detailed oceanic maps and charts. The results will be
made available free of charge to governments, clean-up groups, researchers,
local authorities and a range of other stakeholders, enabling them to take
targeted clean-up action and make evidence-based policy decisions.
“With the full support of the shipping community, we believe
Eyesea is a game-changer for global maritime pollution,” said Eyesea founder,
Graeme Somerville-Ryan. “Everyone from shipping involved in this project wants
to tackle marine pollution in a more systematic and qualitative way than is
currently possible. The solution we settled on was to create the first-ever
global database of oceanic pollution. By identifying and tracking patterns of
pollution over time, stakeholders will also be able to focus resources and
policies to improve prevention.”
Somerville-Ryan said he had been overwhelmed by support from
the shipping industry. The development of the Eyesea reporting technology was
funded by ChartWorld, a provider of digital navigation technology. Dentons
Kensington Swan (New Zealand) also provided a pro bono contribution in the
setup of the incorporated not-for-profit society and IP protection.
Eyesea reported that further announcements will be made over
the coming month regarding companies involved in the initiatives and the
results of the early data collection.