Science activity

PORTSA® is an integrated system of sensors concentrated in seaports that provide commercial vessel operators with accurate and reliable real-time information about environmental conditions. PORTA® measures and disseminates observations, predictions and nowcast/forecasts for water levels, currents, bridge air gap, salinity and meteorological parameters (e.g., winds, waves, atmospheric pressure, visibility, air and water temperatures). This data improves navigation safety by reducing groundings and collisions by up to 60% for commercial and recreational vessels and preventing oil spills. It can also increase shipping efficiency by reducing transit delays and allowing mariners to optimize their cargo load. Mariners need these data, tools, and services to make critical navigation decisions, especially as significantly larger vessels transit through U.S. ports because of the Panama Canal expansion.