Deep Learning & Graph Clustering for Maritime Logistics: Predicting Destination and Expected Time of Arrival for Vessels Across Europe

In recent years, the need for improving operational processes internationally has drastically increased in the maritime logistics field. The lack of streamlined systems that provide reliable information about real-time maritime traffic for the main agents across countries, such as ports operators and ships authorities, has prompted several research questions. In this work, we propose Deep learning and Machine Learning based methods for (i) clustering ports across Europe using their maritime traffic connectivity, (ii) predicting the next destination of vessels, and (iii) forecasting their expected voyage duration. Several experiments based on public AIS data are developed to analyse and verify these methods, and the results of these experiments indicate that the proposed models achieve the state-of-the-art predictive performance considering the wide geographical scope of the problem across all over Europe. Furthermore, a big advantage of the proposed methods respect to other solutions is that the input data configuration and the intrinsic nature of the models enable the users to predict the aforementioned targets about the next destination of vessels right after they arrive at any European port, instead of waiting for the information given by the first submitted AIS messages once their corresponding next voyage has started. When deployed into production, the resulting system will help maritime industry agents to enhance their real-time situational awareness and operational planning

Mobility, Career Pathways, and the Landscape of Employer and Youth Engagement in the South

It's tough for a southern kid born at the bottom of the income ladder to get ahead. Overcoming regional economic hardship, long-tolerated racial inequity and subpar education infrastructure is almost impossible. But there is progress. This issue brief examines two key elements connecting southern young adults with rewarding employment opportunities: employer and youth engagement. The brief offers a framework to assess the preconditions for effectively engaging employers and young adults and identifies examples of promising efforts. It also considers what philanthropy can do to reinforce the importance of employer and youth engagement and expand the use of both in the South

Sustainable seabed mining: guidelines and a new concept for Atlantis II Deep

The feasibility of exploiting seabed resources is subject to the engineering solutions, and economic prospects. Due to rising metal prices, predicted mineral scarcities and unequal allocations of resources in the world, vast research programmes on the exploration and exploitation of seabed minerals are presented in 1970s. Very few studies have been published after the 1980s, when predictions were not fulfilled. The attention grew back in the last decade with marine mineral mining being in research and commercial focus again and the first seabed mining license for massive sulphides being granted in Papua New Guinea’s Exclusive Economic Zone.Research on seabed exploitation and seabed mining is a complex transdisciplinary field that demands for further attention and development. Since the field links engineering, economics, environmental, legal and supply chain research, it demands for research from a systems point of view. This implies the application of a holistic sustainability framework of to analyse the feasibility of engineering systems. The research at hand aims to close this gap by developing such a framework and providing a review of seabed resources. Based on this review it identifies a significant potential for massive sulphides in inactive hydrothermal vents and sediments to solve global resource scarcities. The research aims to provide background on seabed exploitation and to apply a holistic systems engineering approach to develop general guidelines for sustainable seabed mining of polymetallic sulphides and a new concept and solutions for the Atlantis II Deep deposit in the Red Sea.The research methodology will start with acquiring a broader academic and industrial view on sustainable seabed mining through an online survey and expert interviews on seabed mining. In addition, the Nautilus Minerals case is reviewed for lessons learned and identification of challenges. Thereafter, a new concept for Atlantis II Deep is developed that based on a site specific assessment.The research undertaken in this study provides a new perspective regarding sustainable seabed mining. The main contributions of this research are the development of extensive guidelines for key issues in sustainable seabed mining as well as a new concept for seabed mining involving engineering systems, environmental risk mitigation, economic feasibility, logistics and legal aspects

3D Recording and Interpretation for Maritime Archaeology

This open access peer-reviewed volume was inspired by the UNESCO UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology International Workshop held at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia in November 2016. Content is based on, but not limited to, the work presented at the workshop which was dedicated to 3D recording and interpretation for maritime archaeology. The volume consists of contributions from leading international experts as well as up-and-coming early career researchers from around the globe. The content of the book includes recording and analysis of maritime archaeology through emerging technologies, including both practical and theoretical contributions. Topics include photogrammetric recording, laser scanning, marine geophysical 3D survey techniques, virtual reality, 3D modelling and reconstruction, data integration and Geographic Information Systems. The principal incentive for this publication is the ongoing rapid shift in the methodologies of maritime archaeology within recent years and a marked increase in the use of 3D and digital approaches. This convergence of digital technologies such as underwater photography and photogrammetry, 3D sonar, 3D virtual reality, and 3D printing has highlighted a pressing need for these new methodologies to be considered together, both in terms of defining the state-of-the-art and for consideration of future directions. As a scholarly publication, the audience for the book includes students and researchers, as well as professionals working in various aspects of archaeology, heritage management, education, museums, and public policy. It will be of special interest to those working in the field of coastal cultural resource management and underwater archaeology but will also be of broader interest to anyone interested in archaeology and to those in other disciplines who are now engaging with 3D recording and visualization

Using maritime archaeology and tourism to promote the protection of cultural heritage on land and underwater in Anguilla, British West Indies

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the 2009 ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001) created a turning point for maritime heritage management globally. However, in the Caribbean region on a local level many small islands are disadvantaged. Management strategies are poorly defined but even more fundamental is the absence of information on the type and nature of the resource to be managed. This thesis looks at the state of heritage management on Anguilla, a 34 mi2 island in the Lesser Antilles, and the process of developing a system for heritage management where no precedent exists. Analysis is based on participant observation and the local response to two field projects, a Shipwreck Survey to record previously undocumented underwater cultural heritage in 2009, and a land-based heritage trail (2010), both of which were completed during a 2 ½ year residency on Island. The first two chapters provide critical background data into the regional and international state of heritage management, the reasons for choosing Anguilla, and the island’s maritime heritage past and present. This history sets the stage for chapter 3, which presents the results of the 2009 Shipwreck Survey. Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of this initiative, the following two sections are devoted to recognizing the reasons why heritage management has not developed earlier and suggests future solutions. Piloting a theory for heritage management, chapter six describes the Anguilla Heritage Trail, while the following chapters describe a heritage management strategy on Anguilla for the future. This provides a practical example of how the principles of the 2001 UNESCO Convention, particularly its Annex, may be applied and realized in areas with little infrastructure and/or previous experience managing cultural resources

UK perspective research landscape for offshore renewable energy and its role in delivering net zero

Acknowledgements This work was conducted within the Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub, a £9 Million programme 2018–2023 funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under grant no. EP/S000747/1.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Knowledge Acquisition Analytical Games: games for cognitive systems design

Knowledge discovery from data and knowledge acquisition from experts are steps of paramount importance when designing cognitive systems. The literature discusses extensively on the issues related to current knowledge acquisition techniques. In this doctoral work we explore the use of gaming approaches as a knowledge acquisition tools, capitalising on aspects such as engagement, ease of use and ability to access tacit knowledge. More specifically, we explore the use of analytical games for this purpose. Analytical game for decision making is not a new class of games, but rather a set of platform independent simulation games, designed not for entertainment, whose main purpose is research on decision-making, either in its complete dynamic cycle or a portion of it (i.e. Situational Awareness). Moreover, the work focuses on the use of analytical games as knowledge acquisition tools. To this end, the Knowledge Acquisition Analytical Game (K2AG) method is introduced. K2AG is an innovative game framework for supporting the knowledge acquisition task. The framework introduced in this doctoral work was born as a generalisation of the Reliability Game, which on turn was inspired by the Risk Game. More specifically, K2AGs aim at collecting information and knowledge to be used in the design of cognitive systems and their algorithms. The two main aspects that characterise those games are the use of knowledge cards to render information and meta-information to the players and the use of an innovative data gathering method that takes advantage of geometrical features of simple shapes (e.g. a triangle) to easily collect players\u2019 beliefs. These beliefs can be mapped to subjective probabilities or masses (in evidence theory framework) and used for algorithm design purposes. However, K2AGs might use also different means of conveying information to the players and to collect data. Part of the work has been devoted to a detailed articulation of the design cycle of K2AGs. More specifically, van der Zee\u2019s simulation gaming design framework has been extended in order to account for the fact that the design cycle steps should be modified to include the different kinds of models that characterise the design of simulation games and simulations in general, namely a conceptual model (platform independent), a design model (platform independent) and one or more implementation models (platform dependent). In addition, the processes that lead from one model to the other have been mapped to design phases of analytical wargaming. Aspects of game validation and player experience evaluation have been addressed in this work. Therefore, based on the literature a set of validation criteria for K2AG has been proposed and a player experience questionnaire for K2AGs has been developed. This questionnaire extends work proposed in the literature, but a validation has not been possible at the time of writing. Finally, two instantiations of the K2AG framework, namely the Reliability Game and the MARISA Game, have been designed and analysed in details to validate the approach and show its potentialities

Methods for enhanced learning using wearable technologies. A study of the maritime sector

Maritime safety is a critical concern due to the potential for serious consequences or accidents for the crew, passengers, environment, and assets resulting from navigation errors or unsafe acts. Traditional training methods face challenges in the rapidly evolving maritime industry, and innovative training methods are being explored. This study explores the use of wearable sensors with biosignal data collection to improve training performance in the maritime sector. Three experiments were conducted progressively to investigate the relationship between navigators' experience levels and biosignal data results, the effects of different training methods on cognitive workload, trainees' stress levels, and their decision-making skills, and the classification of scenario complexity and the biosignal data obtained by the trainees. questionnaire data on stress levels, workload, and user satisfaction of auxiliary training equipment; performance evaluation data on navigational abilities, decision-making skills, and ship-handling abilities; and biosignal data, including electrodermal activity (EDA), body temperature, blood volume pulse (BVP), inter-beat interval (IBI), and heart rate (HR). Several statistical methods and machine-learning algorithms were used in the data analysis. The present dissertation contributes to the advancement of the field of maritime education and training by exploring methods for enhancing learning in complex situations. The use of biosignal data provides insights into the interplay between stress levels and training outcomes in the maritime industry. The proposed conceptual training model underscores the relationship between trainees' stress and safety factors and offers a framework for the development and evaluation of advanced biosignal data-based training systems