JCU AI breakthrough a game changer for global oil spill detection

James Cook University researchers have developed a world-first AI tool that can detect and assess oil spills from space, marking a major leap for environmental disaster response.

The tool uses data from two satellite types to pinpoint spills and determine how thick or thin the oil is. That level of detail has never before been possible in real time.

JCU researchers say it means faster, more targeted clean-ups after disasters like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill. They say the same approach could also be used to monitor water quality, forests, and natural disasters in future.