Maritime Technology and Research

Assessing the impact of emission control areas policy on ship emissions in the Gulf of Thailand using AIS data

Preeyanuch Premsamarn — 2025-01-19

The rising concern over ship emissions has prompted the exploration of Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in various regions. This study provides a comparative analysis of ship emissions in non-ECA areas and offers insights for implementing ECA policies in the Gulf of Thailand. Utilizing Automatic Identification System (AIS) data from January 1 to 31, 2023, this study models ship emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x), sulfur oxides (SO_x), and particulate matter (PM). Spatial analysis reveals critical emission hotspots associated with ship density, port locations, and major shipping lanes, identifying oil tankers as primary emitters. A comparative analysis with existing ECAs demonstrates that implementing an ECA in the Gulf of Thailand could substantially reduce emissions. The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, including strategies like adopting low-sulfur fuels, optimizing shipping routes, and incentivizing cleaner technologies. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of addressing economic challenges and ensuring comprehensive data collection to capture seasonal and demand-driven emission variations.

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Cite this article:

Premsamarn, P., Win, T.K., Watanabe, D. (2025). Assessing the impact of emission control areas policy on ship emissions in the Gulf of Thailand using AIS data. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 275311. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.275311

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Highlights

Oil tankers are the largest contributors, accounting for 75 % of total emissions.
AIS data reveals emission hotspots in port areas and major shipping lanes in the Gulf of Thailand.
Comparing emissions in the Gulf of Thailand with existing ECA areas highlights the potential for significant emission reductions.
A bottom-up approach using AIS data provides precise spatial analysis of emissions.
Adopting low-sulfur fuels and clean technologies could significantly reduce ship emissions.

Motion and structural analyses of a drillship under hurricane conditions and ice impact loading

Muthu Selvakumar Nagarajan — 2025-02-07

The goal of the study is to understand drillship structural behavior under extremely hazardous hurricane conditions, as well as the variables influencing their strength and stability. In the present study, two cases are considered: a drillship is analyzed under sea states of severe storm conditions using hurricane data from the Gulf of Mexico, and ice loads acting as impact loads. Studies show that the drillship experienced instability caused by the excessive roll and pitch response motion. The critical design shear stress and longitudinal bending moment are predominantly affected by the amplified pitch response in the moonpool. The results illustrate details of the motions induced by environmental loads, free float tests, a combination of hydrodynamic diffraction and Froude- Krylov forces, impact analysis, and RAO-based time and frequency domain studies. These are very useful insights for the design of drillships under impact loads.

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Cite this article:

Nagarajan, M.S., Chandrasekaran, S., Sharma, R., Begovic, E., Jungrungruengtaworn, S., Thaweewat, N. (2025). Motion and structural analyses of a drillship under hurricane conditions and ice impact loading. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 275456. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.275456
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Highlights

The novelty is to analyze the dynamic responses of a drillship to an ice impact using numerical modeling.
Two cases are considered: a drillship is analyzed under sea states of severe storm conditions using hurricane data from GoM, and ice loads act as impact loads.
The study aims to understand drillship structural behaviour under extremely hazardous hurricane conditions and the variables influencing their strength and stability.
The results illustrate details of the motions induced by environmental loads, free float tests, the combination of hydrodynamic diffraction and Froude- Krylov forces, impact analysis, and RAO-based time and frequency domain studies.

Tether analysis and stability investigation of space rocket launch offshore compliant platform in regular seas

Srinivasan Chandrasekaran — 2025-01-26

This study investigates the stability of a multi-utility offshore platform designed for rocket launches, focusing on tether dynamics and platform behavior under operational and failure scenarios. The platform, modeled in ANSYS AQWA, features buoyant legs and a topside connected by ball-and-socket joints, allowing translational motion while maintaining independent rotations. The extended topside introduces pitch moments requiring stability checks. Free-decay tests reveal rigid heave and pitch motions (~3 s) and flexible surge motions (~150 s). Dynamic tether analysis under various sea states highlights that simultaneous tether failures critically affect platform stability, causing significant shifts in heave and pitch.

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Cite this article:

Chandrasekaran, S., Unnikrishnan, A., Panindre, A. (2025). Tether analysis and stability investigation of space rocket launch offshore compliant platform in regular seas. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 275563. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.275563
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Highlights

Demonstrated topside stability in heave and pitch under multiple tether failure scenarios, highlighting the platform's robustness.
Applied Mathieu's stability analysis and charts to assess tether stability under dynamic conditions, offering a novel approach to offshore rocket platform stability.
Analyzed the impact of tether failure on tension distribution, revealing critical tension spikes affecting buoyant legs and platform stability.
Utilized phase plot analysis to reveal the recentering ability of the platform and confirm its stability through elliptical shapes, offering a new method for visualizing the dynamic response of offshore launch platforms.

Adoption of digital technologies in the maritime industry: Insights from Singapore

Angeline Yan Ning Tan — 2025-02-15

Following the global trend, diverse digital tools are being adopted in the maritime industry. This development is especially relevant for Singapore, an island maritime nation of great significance in global trade. Therefore, understanding the maritime stakeholders’ perspectives is crucial in identifying critical factors affecting digital technology adoption. This study uses a mixed-methods approach that comprises in-depth interviews with three interviewees and a preliminary survey with 30 respondents. All respondents have encountered adopting digital technologies at their companies. The analyses reveal that the maritime industry recognizes digitalization as essential in addressing key challenges, including costs, cybersecurity, adaption to new technology, and sustainability, among others. Enabling policies such as standardization, cybersecurity measures, and information sharing are required at both industry and operational levels. In addition, digitization is identified as the most important trend, or the most disruptive technology, impacting Singapore’s maritime industry in the long-term, followed by big data analytics. This investigation highlights the growing push for digital tool adoption in the maritime sector, addressing its unique characteristics. The preliminary framework contributes to addressing potential challenges and developing strategies for successful digitalization implementation.

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Cite this article:

Tan, A.Y.N., Loh, H.S., Hsieh, C.H., Lopez, M.C.R. (2025). Adoption of digital technologies in the maritime industry: Insights from Singapore. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 275821. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.275821
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Highlights

The maritime industry is increasingly adopting diverse digital technologies in response to global trends.
A mixed-methods approach, including in-depth interviews and a survey, was used
Key challenges identified were digitalisation costs, cybersecurity challenges, adaptation to disruptive technologies and sustainability issues
Main themes identified are drivers, organisational willingness and digital readiness
Enabling policies are required at both industry and operational levels

Weighting the factors affecting safety of navigation: A case study for the Gulf of İzmit, Türkiye

Berat Dağkıran — 2024-11-05

Cargo transportation is globally carried by sea. The increasing population and associated needs increase the amount and diversity of cargo transported by vessels. The tonnage and number of vessels are also increasing accordingly. Although production and storage points are established in the regions where raw materials are located, they are concentrated in coastal areas in accordance with intermodal transportation. The Gulf of Izmit is the maritime region with the largest maritime facilities in Türkiye due to its location within the Turkish Straits, its dense population, its proximity to production and raw materials, and its strategic location where transportation modes intersect. Vessel Traffic, Pilotage, and Tugboat Services units operate in the region in order to increase the safety of navigation. However, many factors, such as geographical, meteorological, and hydrographic conditions of the region, and critical structures, local traffic, fishing activities, and the presence of dangerous cargo terminals, affect the safety of navigation. In this study, it was decided to use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques, to identify the factors affecting navigational safety in Gulf of Izmit, to rank them in order of importance and to determine the measures to be taken. In this context, firstly, an extensive literature review was conducted. The data obtained were analyzed by 10 people who are experts in their fields, have academic backgrounds, and work in the region as pilots, vessel traffic operators, port state control officers, and oceangoing masters. Dynamic (variable) and static (unchangeable) risks in the region were identified and a hierarchical structure was obtained. The weights of the factors within the hierarchical structure were determined by making numerical comparisons with each other and the importance ranking was revealed.

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Cite this article:

Dağkıran, B., Bolat, P. (2025). Weighting the factors affecting safety of navigation: A case study for the Gulf of İzmit, Türkiye. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 274135. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.274135

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Highlights

Navigational risks in Gulf of Izmit have been identified in detail and ranked in order of importance.
Vessel traffic, pilotage and escort services are critical and must be improved to reduce navigational risks.
Local traffic, sub-standard vessels and seafarers pose a risk and must be addressed by the public authority.

Green finance frameworks for sustainable shipping industry and blue economy: A review

Dimitris Gavalas — 2025-03-16

Oceans, covering over 70 % of the Earth's surface, are critical natural resources that provide indispensable goods and services essential for human well-being. However, current exploitation practices pose significant risks to marine ecosystems and economic stability, with projections estimating the ocean economy's contribution to global GDP between USD 1.5 and 3 trillion annually. This study examines the potential of ocean finance in promoting sustainable development within the maritime industry, focusing on key financial mechanisms, such as loans, grants, and innovative instruments like blue bonds and the Green Shipping Fund. It highlights the existing challenges in securing adequate funding, including significant financing gaps and the need for standardized definitions of 'green' practices in shipping. The analysis underscores the importance of increasing public and private investments, establishing clear regulatory frameworks, and fostering public-private partnerships for advancing a sustainable ocean economy. Ultimately, the findings advocate for collaborative efforts that prioritize ocean health and equity, ensuring the resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems in the face of climate change and resource degradation.

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Cite this article:

Gavalas, D. (2025). Green finance frameworks for sustainable shipping industry and blue economy: A review. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 277132. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.277132
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Highlights

The study emphasizes the development and implementation of innovative financing mechanisms such as blue bonds and the Green Shipping Fund.
A key finding is the urgent need for establishing a unified regulatory framework that includes standardized definitions and benchmarks for 'green' practices within the maritime industry.
The research highlights the importance of fostering public-private partnerships to enhance investment in sustainable ocean practices.
The study identifies significant market inefficiencies in ocean finance, such as the misallocation of funds and inadequate risk management strategies.
The need for improved data collection and comprehensive metrics to evaluate the ocean economy's impact is emphasized.

Predictive models of non-optically active coastal water quality parameters by remote sensing imagery

Khaldoun Abualhin — 2024-12-31

The coastal waters of the Gaza Strip are significantly impacted by wastewater discharge and pollution from commercial and domestic activities. Timely monitoring and accurate assessment of water quality are crucial for detecting contamination. This study established correlations between spectral reflectance and non-optically active pollutants, specifically Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Total Phosphorus (TP), and Molybdenum (Mo). These parameters were selected for their relevance to wastewater pollution and compatibility with the employed measurement techniques. Non-optically active constituents, which do not exhibit distinct spectral signatures, may still be detectable under specific conditions. The study focused on testing the feasibility of retrieving concentrations of non-optically active components in seawater using Sentinel-2 MSI imagery. Sentinel-2 MSI was chosen for its high revisit frequency and broad wavelength range, making it suitable for assessing water quality. Empirical multiple regression models revealed varying performance among the pollutants. The TP model showed poor correlation and high uncertainty. In contrast, the predictive models for DO and Mo yielded more promising results. The DO model exhibited strong performance, achieving a significant coefficient of determination (R²) value of 0.73, with a low prediction error: a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.21 % and a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 6.6 %. The Mo model demonstrated moderate accuracy, with an R² value of 0.51, an RMSE of 0.35 %, and a higher MAPE of 171 %. The results indicated that DO and Mo concentrations correlated with specific Sentinel-2 bands. This study confirms that remote sensing can effectively retrieve concentrations of non-optically active pollutants, supporting rapid seawater quality assessments, particularly in regions where field surveys are challenging.

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Cite this article:

Abualhin, K., Abushaban, S. (2025). Predictive models of non-optically active coastal water quality parameters by remote sensing imagery. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 274944. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.274944
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Highlights

Empirical models predict dissolved oxygen and molybdenum concentrations
Study area affected by wastewater discharge and coastal pollution
Sentinel-2 satellite data used for non-optically active elements prediction
DO model shows high accuracy for hypoxic conditions detection
Molybdenum model shows moderate accuracy, indicating prediction challenges

First Algerian artificial reef O.R.1 in Oran coastline: Construction, immersion and scientific monitoring

Kais Boumediene Hussein — 2025-01-10

The first Algerian implantation of artificial reefs in Oran coastline was carried out on an experimental basis with the main objective to diversify and increase fishing potentialities along the Algerian coasts. University Oran1 Ahmed BENBELLA, the marine ecology association Barbarous, the Directorate of Fisheries and Fishery Resources of Oran (DPRH), and the Ministry of Fisheries and Fish Resources (MPRH) sought to direct fishing to a more sustainable fishing with more appropriate resource management. To this end, an artificial reef was implanted in order to increase biodiversity and fish biomass. O.R.1 (Oran Reef one) consisted of 68 modules, with two structures of 34 modules; each structure had a superposed form to create a chaotic structure (one to the East, and one to the West), with a total surface of 15 m². Immersion was at 30m depth on a sandy substrate, with the immersion campaign lasting for 4 months, from April to July 2015. The scientific monitoring of the artificial reef allowed the authors to follow the evolution of structures (e.g., siltation) and biomass estimation of fauna and flora inhabiting the structure. After six months of immersion, monitoring in and around both structures reported the presence of more than 37 species, distributed among algae, mollusks gastropods, sponges and fish. Also, it was noticed that the number of species inventoried near the reef had been increasing since the beginning of monitoring, especially the biomass of fish such as red porgy, common two-banded seabream, black head seabream, amberjacks, scorpionfish, rainbow wrasse, and comber.

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Cite this article:

Hussein, K.B., Bensahla-Talet, L., Chakouri, A. (2025). First Algerian artificial reef O.R.1 in Oran coastline: Construction, immersion and scientific monitoring. Maritime Technology and Research, 7(3), 275189. https://doi.org/10.33175/mtr.2025.275189
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Highlights
The study successfully located and marked the submerged reef by installing measuring devices to facilitate future management efforts. After six months of scientific monitoring, the findings revealed significant ecological and economic improvements. The overall richness of the reef increased by a factor of 9.25, indicating substantial ecological recovery. Additionally, the number of fish species observed on the reef has grown, accompanied by a notable recruitment of new individuals. Furthermore, the biomass of three economically valuable fish species increased by approximately 35 kilograms, yielding an economic benefit of 26,100 Algerian dinars per kilogram, equivalent to 144.73 euros per kilogram. These results underscore the reef's ecological recovery and its potential economic contribution to local fisheries.