The Problem
Thousands of vessels illegally discharge oily waste, chemicals, and contaminated water every year into our oceans, far from public view.
While dramatic tanker spills make headlines, these routine illegal releases collectively cause more damage to marine ecosystems, coastal economies, and ocean health.
Bilge Dumping
Lighthouse Reports' investigation uncovered 330 potential illegal bilge-water dumps in European waters between July 2020 and December 2021, with 271 near EU coasts. SkyTruth estimates nearly 3,000 vessels dump oil waste annually in European waters, yet only 1.5% of potential spills are checked within 3 hours.
Regulators’ Blind Spot
Even when suspicious discharges are reported, authorities struggle to identify and prosecute the vessels responsible. Satellite sensors see only surface films; effective satellite detection frequency is far lower than the theoretical 3–5-day revisit; and patrol boats are dispatched only after data have sat in a multi-hour processing queue.
Lighthouse Reports Analysis
Europe’s Black Seas investigation exposes a chronic, large-scale problem of illegal oily wastewater discharges that evade existing surveillance and enforcement mechanisms. Despite millions spent on the EU’s CleanSeaNet satellite and radar system, only 1.5% of potential spills are checked within the three-hour window needed for evidence collection. Vessels routinely bypass onboard treatment, falsify records, and dump under the cover of night or disabled AIS signals, ensuring most incidents go unpunished.
The Challenge
Vast Ocean Coverage
Traditional surveillance methods can only monitor a small fraction of our oceans, leaving numerous areas vulnerable to illegal dumping activities.
Limited Detection Windows
Illegal dumping often occurs at night or in poor weather, making detection through conventional methods nearly impossible.
Evidence Collection
Maritime pollutants disperse quickly, making it difficult to gather legally admissible evidence linking specific vessels to dumping incidents.
Real-Time Response
Current monitoring systems often detect incidents too late, after pollutants have dispersed and caused environmental damage.
Cost-Effective Monitoring
Patrol vessels and aircraft surveillance are expensive to maintain and operate continuously, limiting comprehensive coverage.
Data Integration
Complex coordination between different monitoring systems, vessel tracking, and jurisdictions hinders effective enforcement.
Introducing: Project Sentinel
Sentinel uses a network of autonomous underwater gliders to provide continuous, in-water monitoring and rapid detection of pollution events.
Autonomous Patrols
Gliders silently patrol busy shipping lanes for months at a time, gliding up and down, and sampling the vessel wake for hidden pollutants.
Advanced Sensors
Each glider is equipped to detect oil, chemical leaks, and other pollutants such as nutrient-rich runoff, sediment plumes, and low-oxygen “dead zones.”
Instant Alerts
When pollution is detected, the glider surfaces and transmits an immediate alert to authorities via IRIDIUM satellite or coastal VHF link.
See it in action
At the heart of Project Sentinel is the SEAEXPLORER X2 glider—an advanced autonomous platform developed by ALSEAMAR-ALCEN—powering our mission. Discover how it detects illegal discharges and contributes to ocean conservation in real time.
See the future of marine protection in action!
Join Project Sentinel
Whether you're interested in investing, collaborating, or contributing to marine conservation, we'd love to hear from you.
