The Last Voyage of Costa Concordia Mapped

Live ship tracking website Marine Traffic shows the track of the cruise ship Costa Concordia just before it crashed into the island of Giglio in the Mediterranean Sea.

The International Maritime Organization requires all vessels over 299GT to carry an AIS transponder on board. The transponder transmits data on position, speed and course, among some other static information, such as the vessel’s name, dimensions and voyage details.

Thanks to this AIS data there are now a lot of Google Maps mashups showing the real-time positions of ships around the world. Marine Traffic shows the track of the last 30 minutes of Concordia's voyage.

Via: Landenkartenblog.de

Real-Time Ship Tracking on Google Maps

Real-time ship-tracking Google Map Ship Finder has just undergone an attractive redesign and released some nice new features.

The Ship Finder Google Map allows users to track ships in real time. The application provides a personal AIS system for tracking vessels worldwide. Features available on the map include photographs, status information, vessel statistics, search and much more.

The new design is very slick, with an improved user interface and some very nicely designed custom information windows. The pick of the new features is a playback option that allows you to replay ship traffic for any location and for any date and time. You can even adjust the speed of the playback animation.

German Marine Charts on Google Maps

GeoGarage Marine uses Google Maps to display marine charts from around the world. The site has just added 207 marine charts for the German coast. Adding the charts as overlays on Google Maps means that sailors can explore the charts using the familiar Google Map's pan and zoom controls.

GeoGarage Marine is not only a seamless chart viewer, overlaying charts at different scales on aerial and satellite imagery from Google Maps, but also allows the user to plot waypoints and to prepare navigation routes. These can be saved and uploaded to GPS (in gpx format or directly to Garmin GPS via its Communicator web plugin).

Data Collecting Buoys on Google Maps

The Buoy Alarm: Map of Available Buoys allows users to observe ocean conditions from data collecting buoys.

All of the available buoys are displayed on a Google Map. Each buoy records the swell height, the swell period and the wind direction. To observe the data from a specific buoy the user just needs to click on its map marker.

Each buoy also includes a link to view historical data from that location for the last few days and a forecast of conditions for the next few days.

Also See

National Data Buoy Center Map

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Tracking with Street View

Google Maps APRS is a Google Map displaying real-time information collected from the Automatic Position Reporting System Internet network (APRS-IS). APRS is used by amateur (ham) radio operators to transmit real-time position information, weather data, telemetry and messages over the radio.



A vehicle equipped with a GPS receiver, a VHF transmitter or HF transceiver and a tracker can transmit its location, speed and course. Using this Google Map it is possible to search for any vehicle using its APRS call sign.



Google Maps APRS was first featured on Google Maps Mania back in 2009, since when it has added a cool Street View option. If a road vehicle is transmitting its location with APRS you can now use the 'track in Street View' option to get a virtual first-hand view as seen from the vehicle.



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Live Shipping Containers on Google Maps

This Google Map allows you to track in real-time the huge shipping containers of Maersk as they travel around the world.

The position of the ships are displayed live on this Google Map. You can click on any of the ship map markers to view a photograph of the ship and read further details, such as the ship's destination and current speed.

This map presumably uses the Automatic Identification System (AIS), an automated tracking system used on ships to plot real-time positions.

Maersk Fleet - Live Map

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Hydrothermal Vents on Google Maps

This is our second foray into subterranean (or should that be submarine) mapping today. However, whereas Greg's Cable Map maps the world's undersea telecommunications cables, Peter Aldhous' Google Map shows the locations of deep sea vents.

Peter's map displays all known hydrothermal vent fields. The map uses color-coded map markers to show active and inactive vents. The map also shows plate boundaries and exclusive economic zones.

Hydrothermal Vent Fields Map

Via: SmartPlanet

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A Google Map for Sailors

SailorsMap is a Google Map designed to help boat owners find useful places nearby.

Marinas and local stores that may be useful are added to the map on the fly. If your browsing device supports GPS then SailorsMap is automatically positioned at your current location.

As well as displaying nearby points of information, found via Google Maps Search the map, displays the nautical anchorages of Croatia.

sailorsmap.com

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The Data Buoys on Google Maps

National Data Buoy Center Map

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) operates, and maintains a network of data collecting buoys and coastal stations. The stations measure wind speed, direction, and gust; barometric pressure; and air temperature. The NDBC are using Google Maps to show the locations, and to allow you to view the collected data, of NDBC buoys and the buoys of other providers around the world.

The map allows you to filter for stations by program and/or operator. You can choose to view only the stations from a particular program or show only the stations belonging to a particular owner. It is also possible to display or hide the station identification labels on the map by selecting the Show Labels option.

If you click on a center's map marker you can view the most recent data collected. The map also includes an option to share or save the current map view.

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Marine Charts on Google Maps

Marine GeoGarage

GeoGarage Marine, the portal to international marine maps, has added 227 marine charts for the Netherlands.

GeoGarage uses Google Maps to display marine charts from around the world. The site currently provides marine chart overlays from NOAA (US), DHN (Brazil) and Linz (New Zealand). Marine GeoGarage's web interface also gives subscription members access to all private charts from the UKHO (UK), CHS (Canada), SHN (Argentina).

GeoGarage Marine is not only a seamless chart viewer, overlaying charts at different scales on aerial and satellite imagery from Google Maps, but also allows the user to plot waypoints and to prepare navigation routes. These can be saved and uploaded to GPS (in gpx format or directly to Garmin GPS via its Communicator web plugin).

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Bahamas Nautical Charts on Google Maps

GeoGarage Marine

Marine GeoGarage uses the Google Maps API to display about 260 nautical charts for the seas around the Bahamas, the Turks & Caicos islands, Hispaniola and the Caribbean.

The source of the charts comes from Wavey Line Publishing which has been surveying the region for many years. The charts are overlaid above the normal Google Maps tiles and a slide control allows you to adjust the transparency and compare the chart to the map tiles below.

A good example of the accuracy of the charts is the Orange Cay island, which Google Maps does not show, neither in the map view nor in satellite view.

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Arctic Bathymetry Layers on Google Maps

The Ocean Mapping Group

The Ocean Mapping Group of the University of New Brunswick has created a bathymetry map for the Arctic. The map overlays a number of bathymetry layers of the region over the Google Maps base map tiles.

The transparency of the bathymetry layers can be adjusted using a slider control or can be turned on or off via a check box under the 'satellite' button. It is possible to download the data by clicking on any of the layers. If you click on a bathymetry layer an information window opens with a link to download the data.

Via: Le Technology du LAC

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Global Marine Life on Google Maps

OBIS-Seamap

OBIS-Seamap uses Google Maps to show the distribution and the ecology of marine mammals, seabirds and sea turtles across the globe.

It is possible to search and view data on the map for any of one of 324 different species. It is also possible to filter the data shown on the map by taxon group; 'sea bird', 'sea turtle' or 'marine mammal'.

OBIS-Seamap - Online Mapper
Whilst the OBIS-Seamap is hugely impressive enough on its own it is also accompanied by an Online Mapper. The Online Mapper lets you create your own map using multiple species/datasets as well as your own map elements.

Using the map you can map multiple datasets/species on a single map, upload your own ESRI shapefile(s) to filter the data by your region(s) of interest and overlay Google Earth KML. However an OBIS-Seamap account is required for some of the customisation features.

World Database on Marine Protected Areas

Did you know that only 0.7 of the world's oceans are protected? The WDPA-Marine wants to provide the most comprehensive set of marine protected areas (MPAs) data available. Part of this effort involves a very cool Google Maps mashup that provides information about the less that 1% of protected ocean.

The map uses shaded polygons to highlight protected ocean areas. For each protected area it is possible to select a number of layers showing coral, mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh locations. The map also includes layers to display Wikipedia articles, photographs and videos of the selected protected area.

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Tracking a Ship Made of Bottles

Plastiki

The Plastiki is a 60-foot catamaran made out of 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles.

In March The Plastiki set off from San Francisco with a six-man crew to sail across the Pacific Ocean. The expedition plans to visit several sites of ecological importance before reaching its destination in Sydney, Australia.

You can track the progress of The Plastiki via the Plastiki Control Centre. The control Centre uses Google Maps to show the real-time position of The Plastiki. The map also displays the number of days of the voyage and the number of nautical miles travelled.

The Control Centre also contains information about the current weather, the boat's speed and its current latitude and longitude.

Hat-tip: Living Geography

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A Sailing Calendar on Google Maps

Where Are We Going to Sail?

This Google Maps mashup displays a calendar of upcoming sailing events around the world and shows the location of each event on a map.

You can use the calendar to navigate the map by date. It is possible to quickly navigate to any month, week or year. If you click on an event in the calendar the map will pan to show its location.

You can also browse the events by location. If you click on any of the mapped sailing events the calendar will display the date and time that it is scheduled for.

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The Bridges of Amsterdam

Vaarkaart Amsterdam

Vaarkaart Amsterdam is a Google Map designed to help you navigate the canals of Amsterdam.

The site includes up-to-date information on locks, bridges and sections of canal that are currently shut for construction work or repairs. The map also shows the location of Amsterdam's marinas, gas stations, slipways and charging stations.

Vaarkaart Amsterdam has usefully mapped all the bridges on the canal network. As well as providing Street Views of all the bridges the map shows the bridge heights and the canal depths.

Finally, Vaarkaart Amsterdam has mapped the routes of a number of tours that you can take on its canal system. The tours include routes to see the best of the Western Isles, the Wallen district, the Plantage area and South Amsterdam.

Vaarkaart Amsterdam was created using the Geostart Google Maps creation tool.

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Tracking the Free Gaza Flotilla

The Free Gaza Flotilla

Since August 2008, the Free Gaza Movement has sailed a number of voyages to Gaza. Today the latest voyage was intercepted by the Israeli navy.

The WitnessGAZA website has been tracking the progress of the flotilla as it travels across the Mediterranean Sea using Google Maps. The interception point has been marked on the map with a red map marker.

As well as the Google Map used to track the flotilla the WitnessGAZA website includes embedded videos taken during the voyage.

Update
Tragically when Israeli commandos boarded the Free Gaza Flotilla overnight more than 10 people were killed.

Israel says its soldiers were shot at and attacked with bars and knives.

Audrey Bomse, a spokesperson for the Free Gaza Movement says there was "absolutely no evidence of live fire" from the flotilla.

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Viewing Marine Charts with Google Maps

GeoGarage Marine

GeoGarage Marine is a Google Map that includes a number of marine maps from different international hydrographic services.

The map includes marine chart overlays from NOAA (US), DHN (Brazil) and Linz (New Zealand). Marine GeoGarage's web interface also gives subscription members access to all private charts from the UKHO (UK), CHS (Canada), SHN (Argentina) accessible via some monthly 'Chart Premium' subscription (9.9 €/month).

GeoGarage Marine is not only a seamless chart viewer, overlaying charts at different scales on aerial and satellite imagery from Google Maps, but also allows the user to plot waypoints and to prepare navigation routes. These can be saved and uploaded to GPS (in gpx format or directly to Garmin GPS via its Communicator web plugin).

More than 3,000 marine charts are available on GeoGarage Marine and more are on the way.

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Rowing the Pacific Ocean with Google Maps

Roz Tracker

Roz Savage is currently on the final stage of her solo row across the Pacific Ocean. You can keep up with her progress on this live real-time tracking Google Map.

Roz, a British ocean rower, is attempting to become the first woman to row solo across the Pacific. In 2008 she completed Stage 1, becoming the first woman ever to row solo from California to Hawaii. Currently she is on the final stage of her epic journey.

The map shows Roz's current position with links to her blog, videos and pictures of the journey. You can also view an impressive array of statistics about her journey directly from the map.

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Real-Time Ships in the Gulf of Mexico

Sea-Seek.com

Sae-seek.com, the social sharing site for sailors and boat lovers, has added live real-time ship tracking to their Google Earth browser sailing simulations.

With the sea-seek.com Google Earth browser applications it is possible to sail, fly a helicopter or pilot a submarine at many different locations around the world. The application includes models of other ships plotted at their current real-time positions.

At the moment if you sail around the position of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico you can view a lot of ships that are presumably involved in efforts to cap the well.

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