AbstractSite Selection Tool for Remote Sensing of Broad Maritime AreasTrack: Ocean, Coastal, and Marine Resources Author This document presents a prototype GIS application currently assisting United States Coast Guard intelligence analysts with proper site selection for remote sensing operations. While spatial data analysis helps the Coast Guard protect our territorial waters from many threats, this study focuses on GIS tools that are helping reduce the threat to our marine environment. Analysts and allied vendors aggressively search for criminal vessel crews that illegally discharge oily-bilge into the oceans, thereby causing localized environmental damage. Before the advent of this GIS application, their methodology for searching the globe for violators was generally subjective and unsuccessful. This paper discusses how the developed GIS application is helping solve the problem of proper site selection by enabling a systematic evaluation of environmental and historical data in the threatened areas and by introducing scientific rigor into the search for illegal oil discharges, thereby increasing the odds of finding pollution and locating responsible crews. Glen Russell US Coast Guard 2100 2nd St, SW Washington, District of Columbia 20593 United States Phone: 202-372-2768 E-mail: glen_russell@spatial.redlands.edu |