Shipping Intensity

General Information

North Sea

Baltic Sea

Clyde Marine Region

Adriatic Sea

Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Shipping Intensity

Layer Info
Category	Activities
Sub-category	Shipping activity

Description

Shipping concerns transport by sea, involving ships or vessels transporting people (passengers) and/or goods (cargo). Shipping may be for commerce, recreation, or for military purposes. Merchant shipping is the lifeblood of the world economy, carrying 90% of international trade with 102,194 commercial ships worldwide.

MSP Challenge

Shipping Intensity is a month-by-month, computer generated data layer showing a 'heat map' of all ship traffic combined. The layer combines the tanker, cargo, passenger and ferry intensity heat maps together. Therefore this layer provides a complete overview of all simulated ship traffic within as well as in and out of the North Sea region.

The shipping simulation follows this logic:

• Month by month, tanker, cargo, passenger and ferry ships want to go from specific ports to specific ports, within as well as in and out of the North Sea region.
• These ships find a safe yet short route for their travels. Ideally they move in a straight line. To ensure the route is safe, they will opt for deeper waters and designated shipping lanes applicable to their type.
• More ships following the same route means a higher intensity of ships that month, and thus redder lines on the intensity 'heat map' layers.

Return to shipping.

Types

• 0 to 500 ship
• 500 to 1000 ship
• 1000 to 2000 ship
• 2000 to 3000 ship
• >3000 ship

Metadata

Not applicable.

This layer is computer generated by our Shipping Model.

More info.

North Sea Digitwin Edition

In the North Sea Digitwin Edition the data for the Vessel Density layer is from the EMODnet Human Activities catalogue. The data automatically updated through WMS connection.

Types

• Extremely Low
• Low
• Medium
• High
• Extra High

Metadata

Not applicable.

This layer is computer generated by our Shipping Model.

More info.

Western Baltic Sea

The Shipping Intensity layer in the Western Baltic Sea Edition remains consistent with that featured in the Baltic Sea edition.

Types

• 0 to 125 ship
• 125 to 250 ship
• 250 to 375 ship
• 375 to 500 ship
• 500+ ship

Metadata

Not applicable.

This layer is computer generated by our Shipping Model.

More info.

Types

• Extremely Low
• Low
• Medium
• High
• Extremely High

Metadata

Not applicable.

This layer is computer generated by our Shipping Model.

More info.

Not applicable.

This layer is not present in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.