Business
Supporting our seas
Over 9 in 10 Europeans want destructive fishing kept out of marine protected areas.
26 September 2026
SkyTruth has released a new global analysis estimating that 1.58 million km² of ocean surface is covered by oil slicks each year.
More than 90% of the estimated pollution occurs within national waters, often near coastlines. But limited satellite coverage, particularly on the high-seas, leaves substantial areas of the ocean unmonitored, creating a significant observability gap in understanding chronic marine pollution.
Approximately 81% of the attributable annual oil slick area is associated with vessels, including AIS-tracked and ‘dark’ vessels, while tankers and cargo vessels are the dominant vessel types associated with the slicks.
The findings offer a new way to investigate chronic marine pollution beyond major spills.
By combining satellite imagery with data from SkyTruth’s Cerulean platform and Sentinel -1 radar imagery collected between 2023 and 2025, the analysis provides a global picture of where chronic oil pollution is concentrated and identifies potential sources for further investigation.
‘Oil pollution is a constant, global issue that happens far more often than the spills that make headlines. We’ve now estimated its true scale using satellite data — the problem is measurable, and potential sources can increasingly be identified. Our analysis also reveals where the biggest gaps in accountability and protection remain, and that is where attention and enforcement need to be directed.’
KARL WUSTER
Chief technology officer at SkyTruth
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