[GIS] What are the existing datasets of world maritime routes

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I have a list of cargo ports of all over the world and need to show some port-to-port trips on a map, and also to compute lengths of these trips.

For that, I need a dataset of actual maritime routes (even approximative) between important ports preferably free. Is there something available?

Best Answer

Removed the previous links, which I should have checked more scrutinously, and found some information and shapefiles which hopefully would be of some use:

  • The EEZ Boundaries (Exclusive Economic Zone) which for this purpose is mainly used to show the coastal lines and outlines of continents.

http://www.marineregions.org/downloads.php#eez

  • The main Global ports and terminals (mentions roughly 3700) but you can also download a seperate MS Access or pdf file which contains a comprehensive list of details for each port such as MAXIMUM SIZE VESSEL, TUGS, CRANES/LIFTS etc.

http://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=msi_portal_page_62&pubCode=0015

  • A Global Shipping Lane Network from Oak Ridge National Labs which gives the length of various routes (although a number of the routes are split into multiple parts but you could add the lengths of the seperate routes to get an approximation).

http://geocommons.com/overlays/25

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