Methodology
From radar pixel to legal proof.
SheerSea doesn't sell hypotheses. We sell mathematically verifiable evidence — a fusion of EU space assets that can stand up in court and clear a customs decision in minutes.
Step 1 — Detect
Sentinel-1 SAR scan
Synthetic Aperture Radar pings the ocean surface every few days. Metallic hulls reflect strongly; water doesn't. We run a CFAR (Constant False Alarm Rate) detector to extract every bright point as a candidate vessel. Works through clouds, day and night.
Step 2 — Cross-match
AIS correlation
For the same area and instant, we ingest AIS broadcasts. Each radar contact is paired with the nearest AIS-reporting vessel within a tolerance window. A radar contact with no AIS counterpart is a candidate dark vessel.
Step 3 — Authenticate
Galileo OSNMA verification
Every cooperative vessel transmits navigation messages. Galileo OSNMA cryptographically signs them at the source. We verify each signature: a missing or invalid signature exposes spoofing, no matter how plausible the declared position looks.
Step 4 — Refine
Sentinel-2 optical pass
When skies are clear, Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery confirms vessel type, hull length and even wake direction. Wake analysis lets us infer course and speed from a single static frame.
Step 5 — Act
Pre-filled customs dossier
Every confirmed anomaly produces a legal report with Galileo-certified timestamps, SAR snapshots, AIS gap charts and OSNMA mismatches. The dossier is delivered to the destination port via our B2G API hours before the vessel berths.
Step 6 — Protect
Marine ecosystem enforcement
Each detection feeds Europe's environmental enforcement chain: oil-slick polygons go to EMSA CleanSeaNet, MPA intrusions to national park authorities, MARPOL violations to flag-state inspectors. The same evidence that blocks an illicit cargo also funds the cleanup and the fine — closing the loop on accountability.
Why this beats Global Fishing Watch
Mathematical certainty
We deliver cryptographic OSNMA proof and SAR contact, not statistical probability scores.
Action, not observation
We move the fight from the open ocean — costly to patrol — to the dock, where Europe has full sovereignty.
Legal automation
Pre-filled anomaly reports cut paperwork from days to seconds, enabling immediate cargo holds.
EU sovereignty
100% built on EU space assets — Copernicus + Galileo. No US or Chinese data dependencies.
Environmental accountability
Oil spills, illegal discharges and MARPOL violations are linked back to the source vessel — court-ready evidence for EMSA, EEA and national environment ministries.