Annual Ship Traffic Density and Speed Off California (2008-2015)

Annual raster data presents cumulative ship traffic density and mean speed over ground for vessels longer than 80 meters off California from 2008 to 2015. The dataset, derived from U.S. Coast Guard AIS data, analyzes freight vessels, tanker vessels, and all vessels on a 1-square-kilometer grid. It was generated for a 2018 research article exploring ship traffic variability.

Use Cases

• Analyze cumulative ship traffic density trends from 2008 to 2015 to identify changes in maritime shipping corridors.
• Compare mean speed over ground (SOG) between freight vessels and tanker vessels to study operational patterns.
• Map vessel density on a 1-square-kilometer grid to assess spatial overlap with marine habitats or exclusive economic zones.
• Study annual variability in ship traffic for vessels over 80 meters in length to inform coastal management policies.

Strengths

• Provides 8 consecutive years of annual data from 2008 to 2015 for longitudinal analysis.
• Data is segmented into three analytically useful groups: freight vessels, tanker vessels, and all vessels.
• Spatial analysis is enabled by a consistent 1-square-kilometer raster grid covering the California coast.
• Derived from authoritative U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (USCG NAVCEN) AIS source data.

Limitations

• Data is limited to vessels with a length of 80 meters or greater, excluding smaller vessel traffic.
• The raster format and file geodatabase may require specialized GIS software for access and analysis.
• Temporal coverage ends in 2015, which may not reflect current shipping patterns or regulations.

Provenance

Source

United States Coast Guard Navigation Center (USCG NAVCEN)

Collection Method

Automatic Identification System (AIS) data processed into annual raster grids of traffic density and mean speed.

Time Range

June 2008 to December 2015

Freshness

null

Geography

Off the coast of California, USA, including the Exclusive Economic Zone and Northern Baja California, Mexico