The core user group includes maritime professionals, ship spotters and other hobbyists. Of course, it remains a valuable tool for maritime professionals and hobbyists as well. In fact, in the years since its initial launch, MarineTraffic has grown into an important tool for both business and research purposes, while the platform is also used by governments, trade organisations and emergency services. However, in reality, the service has a much wider audience than that. Who Uses MarineTraffic?Īn online ship-tracking service may seem like the sort of platform that would only appeal to the most dedicated ship spotters, and it may not surprise you to learn that the site’s founder, Dimitris Lekkas, places himself within this category. It can subsequently be referred to for statistical analysis, emergency response purposes, accident investigation and even to assess the effects of weather on speed. This can help to make tracking even more accurate, and is sto red as historical data within the database. Meanwhile, in addition to the automatic location tracking that is provided through the use of AIS technology, vessel positions are also often self-reported to MarineTraffic. While the information on the site largely revolves around picking up these AIS signals for tracking purposes, background information about the vessels, photographs of ships and an abundance of other information is also added and moderated by volunteers, who make up the core of the MarineTraffic community. In that particular case, the AIS technology is replaced by ADS-B technology, which works in a similar way and is again assisted by volunteers, with information being picked up by ADS-B receivers or receiving stations, instead of AIS receivers. In many ways, the MarineTraffic AIS technology can be considered similar to the flight radar technology used by services like Flightradar24, in order to track aircraft. The MarineTraffic service makes use of more than 3,000 of these stations, positioned all around the world, allowing the service to track positions, identify vessels, plot courses and even monitor speed. The AIS transponder transmits GPS information, as well as a host of additional data, which is then received by AIS receiving stations. Since 2004, it has been compulsory for all passenger ships of any size, and all international voyaging ships with a gross tonnage of 300 or more, to be fitted with an AIS transponder, which is able to transmit and receive AIS data. Much of this information is submitted voluntarily by the community of members.ĪIS stands for ‘ automatic identification system‘ and refers to a tracking system that is used on ships and vessels.
This information is then used to provide a more accurate and up-to-date live map of vessel locations.Īside from tracking vessel positions, MarineTraffic also provides background information on vessels, such as where they were built, when they were built, their IMO (International Maritime Organisation) number, how much they weigh and even photographs of them. From there, locations can be overlaid onto Google Maps and, as a result, users can use the service to track the movements of ships and other vessels in real-time.Īdditionally, some information surrounding ship locations is self-reported from those aboard. The MarineTraffic service makes use of AIS tracking technology to provide information about the identification, course, speed and current location of vessels. MarineTraffic makes use of AIS vessel tracking technology to record 800 million vessel locations each month, while its database also includes information on ships, such as when and where they were built. The MarineTraffic service is available to use for free, although a paid version also exists, adding more advance features. Little did he know, he was about to create one of the most important transport databases in the world. Essentially, the service was set up by Lekkas because he had an existing interest in computers and ship spotting, and had become interested in the practical uses of AIS vessel tracking technology.
It is widely recognised as the world’s most comprehensive maritime database and the service is able to boast more than six million unique monthly users, as well as more than one million registered account holders. MarineTraffic is a ship-tracking and maritime information service, which was founded by Dimitris Lekkas in 2007.
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