OlmoEarth's impact: Oceans

The ocean covers 70% of Earth's surface, yet affordably and effectively monitoring the use of marine resources at this scale requires technology that can keep pace. This challenge is especially pressing for the marine protected areas (MPAs) envisioned under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty, which is set to enter into force on January 17.

Our Skylight product directly addresses this need. Now used in more than 70 countries worldwide, Skylight is a free solution that combines remotely sensed Earth observation data with state-of-the-art AI to monitor the ocean in real time. Through world-class AI research at Ai2, we've helped end the era when most human activity at sea went unseen. We pioneered Atlantes – the first AI-powered, GPS-based model for real-time, global-scale maritime intelligence – now making it feasible to continuously monitor fishing activity in even the most remote areas of our vast ocean.

Skylight runs on OlmoEarth, our family of foundation models built specifically for Earth observation tasks. Skylight processes critical data as soon as it becomes available, using OlmoEarth to detect vessels at sea, understand movement patterns, and present actionable information to authorities responsible for managing MPAs and enforcing regulations. The models can analyze satellite imagery across the ocean daily and identify vessels even in challenging conditions—at night, in bad weather, or when ships attempt to evade detection by turning off their tracking systems. This capability is crucial for detecting activities that may threaten marine biodiversity in international waters.

The BBNJ treaty aims to conserve and sustainably manage marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction through effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and by enhanced international cooperation. Among its key provisions are capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology—recognizing that nations that’ve ratified the BBNJ need access to the tools necessary to enforce the rules they establish for high-seas MPAs.

To meet this need, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Ai2 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide nations that’ve ratified the BBNJ with no-cost access to Skylight and its OlmoEarth capabilities. For nations lacking resources for physical assets, such as patrol vessels or aircraft, to monitor vast stretches of the high seas they're responsible for protecting, this technology provides an affordable and effective option. They can now have the information needed to respond to violations in near real-time, and build the evidence base needed for enforcement actions—a fundamental shift from reactive to proactive ocean governance.

Minna Epps, IUCN Global Ocean Policy Director, calls this "a critical factor in the successful management of high seas MPAs, delivering on the promise of the BBNJ and essential for avoiding the potential for ineffective 'paper parks.'" "What makes this solution so powerful for high seas protection is the combination of comprehensive coverage, near real-time detection, and accessibility," Epps explains. "Nations that could never afford conventional solutions can now monitor their designated MPAs effectively. Without tools like this, the treaty's ambitions would remain largely aspirational."