NASA Earth Observatory image modified by SkyTruth

Author Archive for: Bjorn Bergman

You are here: / Bjorn Bergman

Entries by Bjorn Bergman

In a Remote Reserve in the Amazon, Peruvian Park Rangers Navigate a Complex Threat from Illegal Gold Mining

July 17, 2023 in , , /by

The route to collect data at a remote jungle outpost passes through a landscape devastated by illegal mining and a string of mining boom towns far from the reach of national authorities.

On the wall of the headquarters for Peru’s Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, park staff had posted a map peppered with colored squares, which identified areas under threat. Most areas were on the edges of the reserve where miners and coca growers pressed against its boundaries.

Tankers Falsify AIS Tracking Positions to Hide Entry into Russian Black Sea Ports

May 31, 2023 in /by

Amid efforts to enforce an oil price cap and prevent the looting of agricultural products, four tankers were detected disguising their routes in the Black Sea

In late February, as the world marked the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine—the impetus for U.S. and NATO allies to impose new price caps on Russian crude and refined oil products—four tankers broadcast elaborate false tracks in the western Black Sea, our analysis finds. Their real locations were hundreds of miles away.

Russian Tanker Falsifies AIS Data, Hides Likely Activity Around Malta and Cyprus

December 6, 2022 in /by

A first-of-its kind discovery of deceptive ship location broadcasts by a Russian tanker underlines a growing risk of unregulated vessel activity

The maritime world is likely entering an unprecedented period of deceptive shipping practices by tanker operators seeking to avoid sanctions. The recent announcement of a price cap on Russian crude—and a new ban on Western companies insuring Russian cargoes—sets the stage for an increase in clandestine activities by ocean vessels. Not only does this intentional deception provide cover for possibly illegal activity: The misuse of the AIS collision avoidance system jeopardizes safety at sea by ratcheting up the risk of collisions, oil spills, and other serious accidents.

Systematic data analysis reveals false vessel tracks

July 29, 2021 in , /by

Analysis of tracking data from Automatic Identification System broadcasts reveals vessel locations have been simulated for a number of ships, including military vessels. This false information could compromise vessel safety, decrease confidence in a crucial collision avoidance system and potentially spark international conflict.

Recently, analyst Bjorn Bergman came across a new category of false AIS ship positions: positions for vessels that were not present on the water anywhere. Yet these tracks appear extremely plausible. This new type of simulated AIS tracks represents a significant threat to data integrity and highlights the need for vigilance when interpreting AIS data.

SkyTruth’s Project Inambari Wins at Artisanal Mining Challenge for Rainforest Conservation

October 8, 2020 in , , , , /by

SkyTruth and partners at Wake Forest University and the Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation win funding for a public map platform to track mining in the Amazon.

On September 30, SkyTruth, along with its partners at Wake Forest University and the Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation, were selected as a winner at the Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge for our proposal to develop a public map that tracks mining in the Amazon using satellite radar imagery. We call this effort Project Inambari after one of the rivers in the region that has been particularly devastated by illegal and unregulated gold mining.