Vulnerability assessment of strait/canals in maritime transportation using fuzzy evidential reasoning approach.

The safety and security of straits and canals have been playing an important role in maritime transportation. The disruption of a strait or canal will lead to increased transportation costs and world trade problems. Therefore, an advanced approach incorporating fuzzy logic and an evidential reasoning (ER) algorithm is developed to conduct the vulnerability assessment of straits or canals in this paper. A hierarchical structure is first developed taking into account both qualitative and quantitative factors. The fuzzy rule-based transformation technique is applied to convert quantitative factors into qualitative ones, which enables the application of a fuzzy ER method to synthesize all the information from the bottom to the top along the developed hierarchical structure. The software of intelligent decision system (IDS) is used to facilitate the process of vulnerability assessment. The developed framework then is validated and demonstrated in a case study for vulnerability prioritization which can be used as a reference to ensure the safety and security of straits and canals for decision-makers.

Quantitative analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on ship visiting behaviors to ports- A framework and a case study.

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak leads to a significant downturn in the global economy and supply chain. In the maritime sector, trade volume slumped by 3.8% in 2020 compared with 2019. To explore the impacts of COVID-19 on ship visiting behaviors, a framework is proposed to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on port traffic using Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. Firstly, a ship travel behavior-based model is proposed to identify the vessel anchoring and berthing. Then, the diversity in vessel anchoring and berthing time are analyzed, reflecting the impact of COVID-19. The port congestion caused by COVID-19 is quantified by accounting for the number of visiting ships and their residence time. Finally, a case study is carried out on vessels in the Beibu Gulf, China, operating from 2019 to 2020. The results show that the average anchoring time and berthing time increase by 62% and 11% for cargo ships and by 112% and 63% for oil tankers after the outbreak of COVID-19 compared with that before COVID-19. And the density of ships increases in the port area in 2020. Accordingly, the relevant improvements and countermeasures are proposed to reduce the adverse impact of the epidemic on the port navigation system. The paper has the potential to provide a reference for port management and improving port navigation efficiency in the post-pandemic era.

The container transport system during Covid-19: An analysis through the prism of complex networks.

This paper analyses the changes on the maritime network before and after the Covid-19 outbreak. Using a large sample of vessel movements between ports, we show a decrease in the global maritime connectivity and significant differences between ports and inter-port links. Furthermore, we find that Covid-19 mitigation measures implemented by governments affected regional port hierarchies differently, with a reduction in port concentration in Europe and Africa and an increase in Asia and North America. Globally, very large ports and small but densely inter-connected ones resisted better to the crisis than the others, while small transshipment hubs and bridges appear to have been more negatively impacted. These findings have implications for the design of more resilient port strategies and transport policies by states and firms.

Quantitative Analysis on Risk Influencing Factors in the Jiangsu Segment of the Yangtze River.

Quantitative risk influencing factors (RIFs) are proposed, using the Conjugate Bayesian update approach to analyze 945 collision accidents and incidents cases from the Jiangsu Segment of the Yangtze River over five years from 2012 to 2016. The accident probability is compared under a pairwise comparison mode in order to reflect the relative risk between accidental situations. The Bayesian update mode is constructed to quantitatively evaluate the relative importance of different RIFs. The riskiest segment of Jiangsu Waterways as well the main causations of collisions are identified based on the distributions of collision risk in the six segments of the waterways. The results can support managers to develop the most effective policies to mitigate the collision risk.

Maritime Transportation Risk Assessment of Tianjin Port with Bayesian Belief Networks.

This article develops a Bayesian belief network model for the prediction of accident consequences in the Tianjin port. The study starts with a statistical analysis of historical accident data of six years from 2008 to 2013. Then a Bayesian belief network is constructed to express the dependencies between the indicator variables and accident consequences. The statistics and expert knowledge are synthesized in the Bayesian belief network model to obtain the probability distribution of the consequences. By a sensitivity analysis, several indicator variables that have influence on the consequences are identified, including navigational area, ship type and time of the day. The results indicate that the consequences are most sensitive to the position where the accidents occurred, followed by time of day and ship length. The results also reflect that the navigational risk of the Tianjin port is at the acceptable level, despite that there is more room of improvement. These results can be used by the Maritime Safety Administration to take effective measures to enhance maritime safety in the Tianjin port.

Assessing the impact of Arctic shipping routes on the global container shipping network's connectivity.

Amidst the intensifying impact of climate change, the extension of navigable periods along Arctic Shipping Routes (ASRs) has garnered attention as a maritime route for container vessels. The urgency to comprehend the reverberations of ASRs on the global container shipping network (GCSN) led to the development of the Latitudinal Centrality Index (LCI), which integrates latitude and centrality in maritime analysis. This index evaluates ASRs' influence across 968 port nodes within the GCSN. By exploring scenarios encompassing seasonal fluctuations over the years, this study delves into the sway of ASRs compared to a benchmark state devoid of ASR engagement. The study's revelations highlight a discovery: the assimilation of ASRs augments interconnectivity, or resilience, within the GCSN. The GCSN thrives as a cohesive and adaptable entity upon full integration of ASRs, indicating a promising trajectory for global container shipping.

Review on Sustainable Development Goals in maritime transportation: current research trends, applications, and future research opportunities.

United Nations (UN) introduced Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create comprehensive agenda for achieving economic, social, and environmental sustainability in the world. In 2015, the UN released 17 SDGs specifying 169 targets to achieve this important aim. It is vital to adapt these goals to provide a livable environment for the next generations. One of the most important stakeholders in contributing to global sustainability is the maritime industry. This article aimed to connect each of the reviewed papers to the SDGs while also presenting a comprehensive view of SDGs in maritime transportation. Therefore, this paper has novelty to reveal the gaps related to the goals achievement of sustainable development. This study, it was conducted a comprehensive literature review of 67 peer-reviewed studies in the Scopus database regarding the achievement of SDGs in maritime transportation. With this direction, four separate clusters were created by utilizing the VOSviewer software program with a bibliographic coupling method. From this point of view, it was identified scholars' most recent intentions, applications, and suggestions in the existing literature. Finally, gaps in the current literature revealed, potential theoretical and practical implications suggested, and recommendations to researchers for further studies were given to make contributions for achieving SDGs.

Flag of convenience and the tragedy of the commons in maritime transportation.

Flag of convenience (FOC) refers to the practice of registering ships in foreign countries to benefit from lax regulations. While FOC offers several short-term cost advantages to ship owners and FOC countries, it poses significant threats to critical international interests, including environmental protection and marine habitat preservation. Despite global outrage and concerns over FOC's environmental impact, the number of FOC ships have continued to rise. Using game theory, we illustrate how individual rationality - opting for FOC to maximize economic benefits - leads to adverse outcomes for the common good, resulting in increased marine pollution, that we refer to as the tragedy of the commons. Our findings have implications for understanding the strategic behaviour of key players in the maritime transportation, revealing the dark side of globalization and stressing the need for stronger international cooperation to shift these behaviours.

Estimating international trade status of countries from global liner shipping networks.

Maritime shipping is a backbone of international trade and, thus, the world economy. Cargo-loaded vessels travel from one country's port to another via an underlying port-to-port transport network, contributing to international trade values of countries en route. We hypothesize that ports that involve trans-shipment activities serve as a third-party broker to mediate trade between two foreign countries and contribute to the corresponding country's status in international trade. We test this hypothesis using a port-level dataset of global liner shipping services. We propose two indices that quantify the importance of countries in the global liner shipping network and show that they explain a large amount of variation in individual countries' international trade values and related measures. These results support a long-standing view in maritime economics, which has yet to be directly tested, that countries that are strongly integrated into the global maritime transportation network have enhanced access to global markets and trade opportunities.

Understanding the Impacts of Maritime Disruption Transportation to Hospital-Based Acute Health Care Supplies and Personnel in Coastal and Geographically Isolated Communities.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify maritime transportation disruption impacts on available health care supplies and workers necessary to deliver hospital-based acute health care in geographically isolated communities post-disaster. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 key informants knowledgeable about the hospital-based acute health care supply chain and workforce emergency management plans and procedures in 2 coastal communities in British Columbia. These locations were accessed primarily through maritime transportation, including one urban center and one smaller, more remote community. Interview transcriptions were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Critical vulnerabilities to hospital-based acute health care delivery due to a maritime transportation disruption identified include lack of information about the existing supply chain, lack of formal plans and agreements, and limited local supply storage and workforce capacity. Measures to decrease vulnerability and enhance system capacity can be fostered to enhance acute health care system resilience for these and other geographically isolated communities. CONCLUSIONS: A maritime transportation disruption has the potential to impact the availability of hospital-based health care supplies and health care personnel necessary to deliver acute health care in coastal communities post-disaster. Multisector engagement is required to address complex interdependencies and competing priorities in emergency response. Additional research and public-private collaboration is necessary to quantify potential impacts of maritime transportation disruption on the acute health care system. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:440-448).

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of victims of maritime accidents on the Mar Grande-Salvador crossing, Bahia, Brazil: a case series study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Maritime transportation is an activity of vital importance for societies. The Mar Grande-Salvador crossing is an intercity waterway transport line in Brazil that transports 3,500 passengers/day, including residents and tourists. In 2017, an accident on this crossing was considered to be the biggest maritime tragedy in Bahia in the last decade. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and epidemiology characteristics of victims of this maritime accident, with analysis on bodily injuries, causes of death and means/instruments that caused the fatal injuries. DESIGN AND SETTING: Case-series study at the Forensic Medical Institute of Bahia, Brazil. METHODS: Reports on 73 victims who were examined for bodily injury or were necropsied by the Forensic Medical Institute were analyzed. This study was approved by the institution's Research Ethics Committee (protocol 04012218.1.0000.5032). RESULTS: The victims' mean age was 33.0 years [95% confidence interval, CI, 26.3-47.0]. The mean age of those who died was 43.0 years [95% CI, 30.5-53.5]. Bodily injuries were found in 74% of the victims. The most frequent bodily injuries were ecchymoses among females (69.7%) and abrasions among males (76.2%). Blunt instruments produced most bodily injuries (85.2%). Among the victims who died, 68.4% were female. Mechanical asphyxiation through drowning was the leading cause of death (89.4%). The overall lethality rate was 26%, and this was higher among females (28.2%). CONCLUSION: Women were the main victims of this maritime accident. Bodily injuries occurred more frequently than death, but these injuries proved to be quite significant, thus demonstrating the importance of measures to improve the safety of navigation.

Green Marine: An environmental program to establish sustainability in marine transportation.

European maritime companies have adopted programs to limit operational impacts on the environment. For maritime companies in North America, the Green Marine Environmental Program (GMEP) offers a framework to establish and reduce environmental footprints. Green Marine (GM) participants demonstrate annual improvements of specific environmental performance indicators (e.g., reductions in air pollution emissions) to maintain certification. Participants complete annual self-evaluations with results determining rankings for performance indicators on a 1-to-5 scale. Self-evaluations are independently verified every two years to ensure rigor and individual results are made publicly available annually to achieve transparency. GM benefits the marine industry across North America by encouraging sustainable development initiatives. GM's credibility is reflected through a diverse network of environmental groups and government agencies that endorse and help shape the program. Merits of this relatively new maritime certification (not previously described in the academic literature), are discussed.

Toxicity of seven priority hazardous and noxious substances (HNSs) to marine organisms: Current status, knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research.

Shipping industry and seaborne trade have rapidly increased over the last fifty years, mainly due to the continuous increasing demand for chemicals and fuels. Consequently, despite current regulations, the occurrence of accidental spills poses an important risk. Hazardous and noxious substances (HNSs) have been raising major concern among environmental managers and scientific community for their heterogeneity, hazardous potential towards aquatic organisms and associated social-economic impacts. A literature review on ecotoxicological hazards to aquatic organisms was conducted for seven HNSs: acrylonitrile, n-butyl acrylate, cyclohexylbenzene, hexane, isononanol, trichloroethylene and xylene. Information on the mechanisms of action of the selected HNS was also reviewed. The main purpose was to identify: i) knowledge gaps in need of being addressed in future research; and ii) a set of possible biomarkers suitable for ecotoxicological assessment and monitoring in both estuarine and marine systems. Main gaps found concern the scarcity of information available on ecotoxicological effects of HNS towards marine species and their poorly understood mode of action in wildlife. Differences were found between the sensitivity of freshwater and seawater organisms, so endpoints produced in the former may not be straightforwardly employed in evaluations for the marine environment. The relationship between sub-individual effects and higher level detrimental alterations (e.g. behavioural, morphological, reproductive effects and mortality) are not fully understood. In this context, a set of biomarkers associated to neurotoxicity, detoxification and anti-oxidant defences is suggested as potential indicators of toxic exposure/effects of HNS in marine organisms. Overall, to support the development of contingency plans and the establishment of environmental safety thresholds, it will be necessary to undertake targeted research on HNS ecotoxicity in the marine environment. Research should address these issues under more realistic exposure scenarios reflecting the prevailing spatial and temporal variability in ecological and environmental conditions.

A probabilistic model for accidental cargo oil outflow from product tankers in a ship-ship collision.

In risk assessment of maritime transportation, estimation of accidental oil outflow from tankers is important for assessing environmental impacts. However, there typically is limited data concerning the specific structural design and tank arrangement of ships operating in a given area. Moreover, there is uncertainty about the accident scenarios potentially emerging from ship encounters. This paper proposes a Bayesian network (BN) model for reasoning under uncertainty for the assessment of accidental cargo oil outflow in a ship-ship collision where a product tanker is struck. The BN combines a model linking impact scenarios to damage extent with a model for estimating the tank layouts based on limited information regarding the ship. The methodology for constructing the model is presented and output for two accident scenarios is shown. The discussion elaborates on the issue of model validation, both in terms of the BN and in light of the adopted uncertainty/bias-based risk perspective.