MarineTraffic
 | |
Type of site | Ship tracking intelligence |
|---|---|
| Available in | multilingual |
| Founder(s) | Dimitris Lekkas |
| CEO | Demitris Memos |
| URL | MarineTraffic.com |
| Commercial | Partially |
| Registration | Freemium |
| Users | 6 000 000 monthly unique visitors and 1 100 000 registered users[1] |
| Launched | November 2007 |
MarineTraffic is an open, community-based project, which provides real-time information on the movements of ships and the current location of ships in harbours and ports.[3] A database of information on the vessels includes, for example, details of the location where they were built and dimensions of the vessels, gross tonnage and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number. Users can submit photographs of the vessels which other users can rate.
The basic MarineTraffic service can be used without cost; more advanced functions are available subject to payment.[4]
The site has six million unique visitors on a monthly basis. In April 2015, the service had 600 000 registered users.[5][6]
How it works
Data is gathered from several thousands AIS volunteer stations in over 140 countries around the world. Information provided by AIS equipment on board of vessels, such as unique identification, position, course, and speed is then transferred to the main MarineTraffic servers. The AIS (Automatic Identification System) is an automated tracking system which is extensively used in the maritime world. Thanks to this system, vessel information and positional data can be electronically exchanged between AIS stations.
- AIS (Automatic Identification System). The AIS-Receiving stations that compose the MarineTraffic network pick-up such data and share it with the MarineTraffic central database.
All vessels equipped with an AIS transponder emit AIS-data which can be received by any AIS-receiving unit provided it is within range. AIS message packets are encoded in NMEA sentences (64-bit plain text). A sample is shown below: !AIVDM,1,1,,B,1INS<8@P001cnWFEdSmh00bT0000,0*38 .
The contents of any incoming NMEA sentence can be decoded. This way, information on the following three basic sections can be deducted: Dynamic Information, such as the subject vessel’s position, speed, current status, course and rate of turn. Static Information, such as the subject vessel’s name, IMO number, MMSI number, dimensions. Voyage-specific Information, such as the subject vessel's destination, ETA and draught. The central database constantly receives and processes large amounts of AIS-data and stores the most important part of it (together with geographic information on a multitude of ports and areas, vessels' photos and other details). Current positions and/or tracks of vessels are displayed on the MarineTraffic Live Map while Positions History, Vessel Details, Port Conditions and Statistics can be easily found using our dedicated web pages.
- Position recording:
The AIS-transmitted information sent by vessels is being picked up by the MarineTraffic network of AIS-receiving stations. All incoming raw data (NMEA feeds) gets processed and decoded by the MarineTraffic central database and is then made available in near real-time on the MarineTraffic website
- Typical range of the AIS:
It depends on various factors. Normally, a terrestrial AIS-receiving station using an external antenna placed 15 metres above sea level, will receive AIS information within a range of 15-20 nautical miles. Stations located at a higher altitude may greatly extend this range
Products and Services
MarineTraffic released the Live Map in 2007. As the website started to grow and gain popularity, MarineTraffic implemented major upgrades in 2013, offering more services than the Live tracking map. The include services such as Notifications and Fleet management. As the company grew and the demands of its users diversified, MarineTraffic distinguished their products in four types: Online Services, Data Services, Mobile Apps and the Business Directory.
Online Services cover the extensive set of tools accessible through the MarineTraffic web platform. Online Services enable the tracking of individual vessels and fleets with the Live Map, through Advanced Filtering, Custom Area mapping and Notification Services;
Data Services are split into two distinct channels; API Data Services and Archive Data. API Data services are designed for on demand access, via machine to machine calls, to real-time positional data, static vessel information and historical positions or events. Archive Data are designed for analysis and research, MarineTraffic has been collecting data since 2009.
Mobile Apps consists of two distinct mobile offerings, MarineTraffic and OnCourse. The MarineTraffic app integrates seamlessly with the web services while OnCourse has been built to support boaters and give them with the tools they need to get the most out of their hobby. Both apps are available through the iOS, Android, Windows and Amazon app stores.
Business Directory: A maritime business directory designed to provide suppliers exposure to buyers as they navigate the web platform. The directory now host over 39,000 companies making it one of the largest online maritime directories.
Who uses it
MarineTraffic is used by many different people, both private and business, across a variety of sectors, more than [7]6,000,000 unique visitors to its website monthly, and more than [8]1,100,000 registered users, At its most basic level, the near real-time tracking service is used by ship spotters and hobbyists, but also by families of crew members that use it to follow their loved ones. MarineTraffic is also an important business and research tool for many companies and organisations around the world. NGOs use the service for researching purposes, as do media organisations, while Governments use it help monitor coastlines and maritime activities in their country. Trade organisations use it to forecast and validate local and international trade volumes. Major energy suppliers, manufacturers and traders use it to help understand global demand and supply, competitor analysis and tracking. Shipping professionals use it to monitor the world’s global fleet and their own respective ships, but also to identify business prospects. Emergency response teams use it for situational awareness in times of emergency.
History
MarineTraffic is the brainchild of Dimitris Lekkas, a self-confessed radio enthusiast, computer geek and ship spotter, who was inspired to create the platform in 2006 when he became aware of AIS.
Community
MarineTraffic is a crowd-sourced business. The MarineTraffic community now consists of more than two million subscribers who are professionals, hobbyists, radio amateurs or AIS Station owners, photographers and translators. MarineTraffic AIS network of over 3,200 shore-based manned receivers by enthusiasts who share a passion for ships and the maritime ecosystem. More than two million photos have been uploaded by more than 29,000 ship photographers; all images are moderated by a volunteer group of professional maritime photographers, the MarineTraffic Moderators team. MarineTraffic utilises crowd-based subtitling platforms to translate the website into more than 34 languages. The translations are community driven by a team of maritime professionals, native speakers and hobbyists who are dedicating their free time.
Partnerships
MarineTraffic has joined a number of key global and regional initiatives and projects that use the company’s ship tracking data to improve trade, technology, the shipping industry and the environment. These include an [9]MoU with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to providing a more accurate analysis of global trade and shipping trends and, working with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on the uptake and implementation of energy efficiency measures for shipping. MarineTraffic is also working with the European Statistical Systems Network (ESSnet) on Smart and Innovative Statistics, and the Big Data Value Association (BDVA) on the European Big Data Value Innovation Strategy. At last, the company is also actively involved with the NATO Centre for Maritime Research on modeling and simulating behaviours for predictive and prescriptive shipping analytics.
Media
MarineTraffic is considered to be a leading source of global ship tracking intelligence by the world’s top media organisations. Journalists from across the globe routinely request data from MarineTraffic about a variety of topics, from business and market issues, to social issues and of course shipping relating news. In 2017, MarineTraffic data was featured in more than [10]21,100 news stories in 64 countries with a further 60,500 social media mentions. The company has provided data for stories as diverse as the Mediterranean migrant crisis, suspicious tanker movements in ISIS-controlled territory, Russian oligarch meetings with US officials, allegations of sanctions breaking and the movements of US Cabinet member Wilbur Ross’ shipping investments. MarineTraffic data was used in stories published by the New York Times[11], the Washington Post[12], BBC, the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal[13], the Atlantic[14], TradeWinds, and many more news and business publications
References
- ^ http://www.marinetraffic.com
- ^ https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/marinetraffic.com
- ^ "Top 3 Websites to Track Your Ship". MarineInsight. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ "Cautiously Optimistic on MarineTraffic Internet AIS – Sail Magazine". Sail Magazine. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
- ^ "Site gives landlubbers trove of information about ships". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
- ^ "MarineTraffic.com releases new notifications". All About Shipping. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
- ^ http://www.alexa.com
- ^ http://www.marinetraffic.com
- ^ http://www.naftemporiki.gr/finance/story/1239244/mou-sunergasia-marinetraffic-kai-unctad
- ^ https://issuu.com/marinetraffic
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/world/asia/north-korea-oil-smuggling.html
- ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/politics/ivanka-trump-overseas/
- ^ https://www.wsj.com/articles/iranian-tanker-chinese-ship-stopped-transmitting-location-before-crash-1515777061
- ^ https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/09/watch-cargo-ships-skitter-away-from-hurricane-irma/539187/