How POLITICO Used Cerulean to Expose Oil Pollution from Sanctioned Tankers
A new investigation by POLITICO and SourceMaterial using SkyTruth’s Cerulean oil slick monitoring platform found that at least five sanctioned Russian tankers have continued operating in European waters after leaving oil slicks behind. The investigation is one of the first to directly link environmental damage from the “shadow fleet” to visible pollution at sea.
The LNG industry claims it’s better for the environment than other fossil fuels, but is that true?
SkyTruth set out to make data about the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) supply chain publicly accessible and to track the industry’s rapid growth. LNG has been touted as the clean alternative to other energy sources, and we aim to put that claim to the test.
Will Lytle is a Senior Software Engineer at SkyTruth, where he transforms complex environmental data into accessible web applications.
But his path to tech was anything but conventional — involving 13 years guiding students through the Grand Canyon, endangered fish research, and a pandemic-era career pivot. We sat down with Will to learn about his unique journey and current work at SkyTruth.
https://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/will_lytle_blog_qa_FEAT.jpg10241240Will Lytlehttps://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SkyTruth-Header-Logo-C.pngWill Lytle2025-09-10 09:00:022025-09-10 09:01:24From River Guide to Software Engineer – A Q&A with Will Lytle
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?
Finding methane plumes in the vast ocean using satellite innovation
In July 2025, we ran a focused four week Research and Development (R&D) sprint to test how open-access satellite imagery could be used to detect methane emissions from offshore oil and gas infrastructure, which is a notoriously hard-to-detect, under-monitored source of climate pollution. This post shares what we set out to do, what we built, what we learned, and where we plan to go next.
As global leaders, scientists, Indigenous leaders, NGOs, and advocates gathered in Nice, France for the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) a few weeks ago, one message resonated above all: the clock is ticking.
At SkyTruth, we came to Nice to listen, learn, and collaborate—but also to bring a vital tool to the table: the 30×30 Progress Tracker, our open-access, data-driven platform designed to illuminate where the world stands on the path to 30×30, and where gaps persist.
https://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/un_ocean_conf_2025_FEAT3.jpg10241240Chelsea Kayhttps://skytruth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SkyTruth-Header-Logo-C.pngChelsea Kay2025-06-26 15:17:352025-06-26 15:20:39Charting Progress, Demanding Action: Reflections from the UN Ocean Conference and the Road to 30×30
New in Cerulean: Tracking Oil Pollution from Sanctioned Tankers
/in Bilge Dumping, Cerulean /by SkyTruth TeamHow POLITICO Used Cerulean to Expose Oil Pollution from Sanctioned Tankers
A new investigation by POLITICO and SourceMaterial using SkyTruth’s Cerulean oil slick monitoring platform found that at least five sanctioned Russian tankers have continued operating in European waters after leaving oil slicks behind. The investigation is one of the first to directly link environmental damage from the “shadow fleet” to visible pollution at sea.
Tracking the environmental footprint of offshore LNG
/in Climate, LNG /by Suzy StillmanThe LNG industry claims it’s better for the environment than other fossil fuels, but is that true?
SkyTruth set out to make data about the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) supply chain publicly accessible and to track the industry’s rapid growth. LNG has been touted as the clean alternative to other energy sources, and we aim to put that claim to the test.
From River Guide to Software Engineer – A Q&A with Will Lytle
/in Team /by Will LytleWill Lytle is a Senior Software Engineer at SkyTruth, where he transforms complex environmental data into accessible web applications.
But his path to tech was anything but conventional — involving 13 years guiding students through the Grand Canyon, endangered fish research, and a pandemic-era career pivot. We sat down with Will to learn about his unique journey and current work at SkyTruth.
Terrestrial Protected Area Effectiveness: Measuring What Matters
/in Protected Area Monitoring /by Suzy Stillman, Christian Thomas and Alana LutzAs 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?
Breaking Ground in Offshore Methane Detection
/in Methane, Offshore /by Jona Raphael, Ethan Bevan, Brendan Jarrell and Ben ShostakFinding methane plumes in the vast ocean using satellite innovation
In July 2025, we ran a focused four week Research and Development (R&D) sprint to test how open-access satellite imagery could be used to detect methane emissions from offshore oil and gas infrastructure, which is a notoriously hard-to-detect, under-monitored source of climate pollution. This post shares what we set out to do, what we built, what we learned, and where we plan to go next.
Charting Progress, Demanding Action: Reflections from the UN Ocean Conference and the Road to 30×30
/in Biodiversity, Climate, Protected Area Monitoring /by Chelsea KayAs global leaders, scientists, Indigenous leaders, NGOs, and advocates gathered in Nice, France for the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) a few weeks ago, one message resonated above all: the clock is ticking.
At SkyTruth, we came to Nice to listen, learn, and collaborate—but also to bring a vital tool to the table: the 30×30 Progress Tracker, our open-access, data-driven platform designed to illuminate where the world stands on the path to 30×30, and where gaps persist.