Environmental Impact of Maritime Logistics Using Satellite Data

Abstract

Shipping continues to have a negative impact on the marine environment, contributing among others to eutrophication through NOx emissions. Today, ship detection is considered a key aspect of maritime surveillance, as it enables the monitoring of various maritime activities, such as maritime traffic, search and rescue, cargo transportation, maritime defense, illegal fishing, and also includes environmental aspects, such as environmental assessment of adverse effects, and oil spill detection and monitoring. In this context, paper presents a methodology that aims to collect, process, and analyse data on a large temporal and spatial scale for the assessment of environmental impacts due to maritime traffic, using satellite data. Data of ship detection and nutrients related to the phenomenon of eutrophication are used for the assessment. Both datasets are collected, stored and visualized through a developed geoportal, accessible by multiple users, providing download and visualization services. Geospatial portal is expected to provide access to high- resolution and easily understandable spatial data to a large group of people, scientists, decision makers and other interested parties.