Automated Identification System

USCG Establishes New AIS site in Unimak Pass

The Coast Guard in partnership with the Marine Exchange of Alaska has established an Automated Identification System (AIS) site in the Unimak pass to assist with maritime domain awareness. AIS is a shipboard broadcast system that acts like a transponder, operating in the VHF maritime band. The system allows a shipboard radar to display a mark for every significant ship within radio range. Each mark displays the corresponding ship's speed, heading, name, size, call sign, registration number, classification and other information. AIS has the same range-limiting factors of radio broadcasts however, the system's coverage area can be expanded by shore based repeaters. The system's range at sea is approximately 20 nautical miles. The Unimak Pass AIS site is the ninth of 11 planned sites established in Alaska. Automated Identification System sites have been established as part of a partnership between the Coast Guard and the Marine Exchange of Alaska. The project began in late 2003. The Coast Guard regularly uses AIS to improve its awareness within the maritime domain. AIS allows the Coast Guard command center here to monitor, in real time, the movements and positions of high capacity passenger vessels, Alaska Marine Highway System ferries and most larger commercial vessels within major ports. The availability of real time position information allows the Coast Guard to better coordinate search and rescue efforts and patrols for homeland security.

Maritime Exchange VP Elected to Head MISNA

At their fall meeting, members of Maritime Information Service of North America (MISNA), a non-profit association dedicated to promoting safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sound maritime operations, elected Lisa B. Himber, vice president of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, to serve as the organization's president for 2004. Other officers include: Immediate Past President - Liz Wainwright, Merchants Exchange of Portland, OR; Vice President - Ed Page

Submersible Retrieves Data, Takes Video from Sunken Ferry

An underwater video released Tuesday by B.C.'s Transportation Safety Board shows images from inside the sunken Queen of the North ferry during a dive by a remote-controlled submersible last month. The video shows the submersible's manipulator arms clearing the ferry deck of debris, breaking a bridge window to gain access and taking images of the controls. It also shows the submersible retrieving bridge computerized electronic systems that could shed light on what led to the fatal

SISCO Impresses U.S. Senators

A U.S. Senate sub-committee offered positive feedback regarding a high-speed access control and accountability system developed by Security Identification Systems Corporation (SISCO). The system, which delivers a high level of security protection to almost every major cruise line, received high marks today during a Senate sub-committee field hearing on seaport and cruise ship passenger security. After listening to the expert testimony of SISCO's CEO Anthony Zagami, Senator John Breaux

HSRP Meeting

The Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) will be meeting November 19-20. The NOAA Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP) is a Federal Advisory Committee that advises the NOAA Administrator on topics relating to operations, research and development, and dissemination of data pertaining to:  hydrographic surveying; nautical charting; water level measurements; current measurements; geodetic measurements; and geospatial measurements.

Container ID Software for Brazil Terminal Ordered from APS Technology

Brazil container yard operator TCP chooses APS Technology to supply gate and rail OCR container terminal solutions APS Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of optical character recognition (OCR) and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal container terminals, announced Terminal de Conteineres de Paranagua  (TCP), the third largest container terminal in Brazil, has chosen APS Technology for gate OCR and rail OCR solutions at its terminal. 

House Passes DHS Appropriations Bill

The US House of Representatives passed the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 (H.R. 5441) making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes. If adopted the bill would, among other things, withhold $10 million from the Secretary until a comprehensive port, container, and cargo security strategic plan is submitted to Congress; provide $5

Bill Introduced re DHS Appropriations

Representative Rogers (R-KY) introduced the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 (H.R. 5441) making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes. If adopted the bill would, among other things, withhold $10 million from the Secretary until a comprehensive port, container, and cargo security strategic plan is submitted to Congress; provide $5

Smart Card Initiative to Promote Maritime Security

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) Co-chairmen, CAPT Lee Kincaid and CAPT Robert Sheen, announced the SOCP’s plans for developing SOCP’s Maritime Smart Card pilot project at its October meeting in Norfolk, VA. The pilot project, jointly sponsored by the SOCP and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and led by SOCP Working Group Chair, CAPT Charles Pillsbury of MITAGS, will use SOCP and MARAD matching funds

Cargotec SmartPort Solutions at Brazilian Terminals

At the Brazilian container terminals Tecon Salvador and Tecon Rio Grande both part of the Wilson Sons Group, Cargotec is integrating the SmartLanes process automation solution for gate automation. SmartLanes is part of the process automation offering of the Cargotec SmartPort concept and is delivered in partnership with APS Technology Group, part of Cargotec SmartPort Alliance. Wilson Sons is one of the largest operators in port, maritime and logistics services in Brazil