Challenge
A newly-declared Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the northern waters of Queensland required enhanced maritime domain awareness to identify potential zone breaches and understand vessel behaviour within the area. Geospatial Intelligence was tasked with conducting a detailed Pattern of Activity (PoA) analysis to support environmental protection and operational oversight.
Scope
We undertook a PoA analysis across the new MPA to determine the level and type of vessel activity present and to assess whether any vessels entered restricted or sensitive areas.
Methodology
- Over a 72‑hour observation period, we deployed a combination of high‑resolution optical sensors, SAR sensors, S‑AIS data, and night‑time optical imagery.
- These technologies were selected due to the small size of vessels operating in the region and the need for round‑the‑clock, all‑weather monitoring.
- Our vessel detection reports captured key voyage and vessel attributes including location, vessel type, size, direction of travel, speed, and activity patterns.
Outcome
- We delivered comprehensive vessel detection reports that were well received by the end‑user, providing clear insights into maritime activity within the protection zone.
- Findings showed that vessel presence was dominated by small recreational craft, with very limited commercial traffic.
- Analysis which showed that vessel activity significantly diminished after dusk, with minimal night‑time vessel movement recorded.
- Importantly, we enabled authorities to rapidly identify and notify vessels which had inadvertently breached the new MPA, confirming effective compliance during the monitoring period.