Automatic Integrated Maritime Monitoring (AIMM) is about developing a system for maritime surveillance of UK waters, based on the simultaneous use of satellite remote sensing and the Automatic Identification System (AIS).
  • DatesNovember 2017 to May 2018
  • SponsorDefra Earth Observations Centre of Excellence
  • Funded£115,000 (£70,000 to Cranfield)
  • PartnersCentre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas); Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC); InkBlot Design; exactEarth

Monitoring of human activities at sea has wide impacts in terms of security (irregular crossing of sea borders and protected areas), safety (search and rescue, shipping traffic), sustainability and protection of the environment (fishing control, pollution, impact on marine ecosystems).

The most operational techniques for vessel monitoring are currently the Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and Remote Sensing with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. AIMM will make use of Big Data analytics to combine information from both techniques and obtain the most complete maritime picture of the UK waters.

Related publication

Snapir B, Waine TW & Biermann L (2019) Maritime vessel classification to monitor fisheries with SAR: demonstration in the North Sea, Remote Sensing, 11 (3) Article No. 353.