Page 58: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Sep/Oct 2018)

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SAFETY INSIGHTS

ENC’s Evolve for the Greater Good

Big data set to transform digital navigation in the world’s busiest waterways

By Chris Berkley ecent developments in big data technologies have changed part, at fve-meter intervals. When information is entered into the the way we use marine data. Experts can now manage much system by mariners, an ECDIS sets a safety contour at a level that

Rlarger data sets and use innovative technology to help us fnd corresponds to these depth contours – generating a clear bound- new ways to understand and beneft from the ocean environment. ary between what is deemed to be safe water and areas that are

These new insights are already informing infrastructure de- too shallow to guarantee safe passage for that ship. The ECDIS velopment, the sustainable use of marine resources and helping will then alarm if a ship is approaching this line to help prevent to unlock the potential of navigational tools. Electronic Naviga- groundings and ensure safe navigation.

tional Charts (ENCs), for example, are advancing thanks to big Marking depth contours at fve-meter intervals made sense in data technologies, giving ships access to more detailed, highly the context of physical charts, which were drawn by hand and accurate information that can support safe passage. read by eye. With current standards, however, issues can arise when mariners want to set a safety contour depth that falls be-

The Sea Passage: from paper to digital tween two fve-meter intervals. Currently lacking ‘granularity’ in

When nautical charts were transferred from paper to digital information to be able to undertake such a process, an ECDIS displays, many of the industry standards for creating clear, de- will default to the next deepest contour if the value entered by the marcated visual guides were adopted ‘as is’. At the time, this was mariner is not available on the ENC.

an obvious transition – giving mariners certainty and familiarity For vessels, this means that a clear route – that is, a route that while learning new passage planning processes. can be safely navigated given the characteristics of a particular

One such standard was marking depth contours, in the most vessel – could be displayed as very narrow on the ECDIS when

Credit: UKHO 58 Maritime Logistics Professional September/October 2018 | |