We’re constantly delivering small and large improvements to Starboard. We update this page as changes are made, so check back again for the latest updates.

AIS data is messy and sometimes a message might be received with a corrupted or erroneous position. In the past (before September 2022) Starboard’s algorithm for dealing with vessels that were sharing a MMSI may have incorrectly split a vessel into multiple instances because of these corrupted messages. Improvements have been made to help with analysis for these legacy “split vessels”.

How it works: Analysis across multiple instances of the same vessel for legacy split vessels →

A new advanced filter for vessel dimensions (AIS reported length and width) is available. This can be useful for confirming compliance with area based restrictions.

All users can now create and invite others to a group in Starboard. This is a new way to share information within Starboard and is particularly useful if you want to collaborate with:

A new risk indicator, assigned to vessels when its AIS and IMO details do not match, is available. Vessel identification details in AIS are updated manually and could differ to the IMO details to intentionally mislead but may also be due to input error.

Like with other risk indicators this can be used as a filter for your analysis, viewed in the vessel or company analysis panel, and viewed in the vessel or company report. More about this new risk indicators and how risk indicators work →

To make analysis of satellite imagery simpler, especially when there are large volumes or routine ingestion, a new satellite data panel includes a minimap indicating an acquisition's location. This panel responds to your set area and time filters to only display satellite imagery that is relevant for your current analysis.

A new track history option shows detailed analysis of AIS points. This can be useful when completing detailed behavioural analysis for a vessel, particularly if the vessel has undertaken intricate manoeuvres.

Starboard includes vessel identification information from AIS, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and RFMOs. The vessel report now includes details from all of these sources and highlights which of these is used in Starboard. Learn more about Starboard's data sources →

You can now set alerts for when selected vessels or tagged vessels stop transmitting on AIS. This can be useful for monitoring if vessels of interest may have turned off their AIS or if they may be experiencing a safety incident. This is the first of several new advanced alerting options.

You can now filter vessels in your area of interest based on risk indicators. This can be useful for assessing vessels and their activities in your area of interest. Learn more about assessing vessels with risk indicators, fishing authorisations, and other advanced filters →

IUU listed, previously IUU listed, and closely linked to IUU listed are now risk indicators against the relevant vessels. This means they are no longer a global tag. Learn more about the IUU listed or closely linked global risk indicator →

There are two new ways to set alerts to help to monitor vessels of interest entering your area of interest.

You can now add an alert to your list of selected vessels.

And, you can also now use tags to create an alert. Learn more about keeping track of vessels and fleets of interest with tags, notes, and alerts →

S&P Global Market Intelligence vessel information is now available in the vessel report.

This first release includes vessel identification, registration details, P&I details, communication information, special features for the vessel, and detailed vessel type information. Learn more in this short demonstration video →

This is currently in beta and we welcome any feedback, email support@starboard.nz or use the chat function. More sections coming soon including certificates, structure, cargo, machinery, build, sales, and status.

You can now click on port events and journey information in the vessel list. This is useful to visualise a vessel's behaviour in more detail on the map.

Every vessel in Starboard is now assessed through a risk framework, this results in relevant risk indicators being assigned to vessels and can support risk analysis for a particular vessel of interest or vessels in an area of interest.

Risk indicators can be viewed in the vessel analysis panel and vessel report. Risk indicators for a fleet are combined and this can be viewed in the companies analysis panel and company report. More about how risk indicators work →

▶ Watch the online training video to learn more

The risk indicator framework is currently in beta and is continuously being developed. We welcome any feedback, email support@starboard.nz or use the chat function. In future filtering on risk will be available.

The activity page makes it easier to collaborate and see a centralised view of information for your organisation. You can view alert notifications, see changes to tags and notes, and see when new data collections have been added.

When viewing tags and notes you can add new notes directly into the activity page, making it easier to collaborate on vessels of interest.

▶ Watch the online training video to learn more

The speed for selected vessels layer allows you to visualise the speed of a vessel on its track. This can be particularly helpful when combined with speed filters.

▶ Watch the online training video to learn more

S&P Global Market Intelligence data is now available when a vessel has been matched. All vessels within the fleet can be reviewed including their vessel information, authorisations, and behaviours. This is the first of many releases integrating new vessel information.

▶ Watch the online training video to learn more

A new company report is also available and includes the relationships between companies.

Likely and inferred transshipments in Starboard represent potential catch transfer between fishing vessels to fish carriers. These two new events are available in a vessel's history and as advanced filters.

More about how inferred transshipments are detected →

More about how likely transshipments are defined →

You can now filter for vessel speed in any area of interest. This filter can be combined with other advanced filters and can be customised for vessels travelling faster, slower, or between a set speed.

You can now search for any EEZ in the world when using the area filter. When you use an area it will automatically be added as a pinned area and to keep things tidy you can manage which areas you would like to see in your account. More about setting your preferences →

The global EEZs are also available as areas that can be highlighted on the basemap under the layers panel.

The 2 hours filter auto updates to keep your screen up to date with the closest data to real-time as possible. This new filter can be useful in busy areas to speed up analysis and for control rooms or live operations. More about the 2 hours filter →

Understanding where and when a vessel has visited a port can help to assess a vessel’s risk. You can use the past port visits filter to identify vessels that have visited a country in the last 7, 30, 90 days, or the last year. This can be useful for identifying vessels with potential biosecurity risks →

The filter can also be used for the last port of call, and when combined with other advanced filters, can be useful for identifying risky vessels including those arriving into your area of interest. More on identifying risky vessels by combining advanced filters →

You can now set your own distance, speed, and coordinate unit preferences. Customise your unit preferences under your account settings or when using the measurement tools.

We have made some big changes behind the scenes to the way complex queries and filters are run in Starboard. Not only will these changes make Starboard even faster but now you can complete analysis on a global scale and over longer time periods to answer questions like:

These changes are also the start of being able to setup complex alerts and additional filtering. Soon you will be able to setup alerts based on previous port visits and the speed vessels are travelling at.

Learn more about this update in our help centre including an on-demand workshop →

There are two new global tags available in Starboard: Greenpeace: Forced labour at sea and CSIS: Chinese maritime militia. These are hidden by default but can be added to your user preferences by heading to manage tags →

Global tags bring together various vessel lists around the world. More about using global tags to find noteworthy vessels →

You can now select or tag vessels from the vessel list. This can be useful once you have applied filters and completed your analysis to create a list of vessels of interest. More about ways to create lists for vessels of interest →

The EU Fleet Register has been integrated into Starboard. Vessel type is now updated with subtype, from the 15 vessel registers integrated with Starboard, for over 17,000 vessels. Read more about how vessel subtypes work →

Similar to other fishing register integrations this can help speed up analysis with external information directly available in Starboard. The vessel register and vessel type can also be used for filtering in the analysis panel and as part of the advanced filters.

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Regional Fleet Register has been integrated into Starboard.

AIS data points are now coloured to indicate the AIS data source and a new pop-up displays more details. Read more about different AIS data sources →

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) List of Authorised Vessels Record Vessels has been integrated into Starboard.

Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA), North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), and Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) have all now been integrated into Starboard.

Vessel type is now also updated with subtype from these registers for around 11,000 vessels. Read more about how vessel subtypes work →

Similar to other fishing register integrations this can help speed up analysis with external information directly available in Starboard. The vessel register and vessel type can also be used for filtering in the analysis panel and as part of the advanced filters.

Notes can now be added to tags on vessels to provide further information about vessels or the reason a vessel is being tagged. A tag on a vessel can have multiple notes and these can either be added when vessels are tagged or later on. Read more about organising vessels with tags and notes →

The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Record of Vessels has been integrated into Starboard. Vessel type is now also updated with subtype from SPRFMO. Read more about how vessel subtypes work →

Similar to other fishing register integrations this can help speed up analysis with external information directly available in Starboard. The vessel register and vessel type can also be used for filtering in the analysis panel and as part of the advanced filters.

Vessel type is now updated with a subtype from the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) List of Vessels in Good Standing and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Record of Authorised Vessels. This information is available for advanced filtering, for example, to identify fishing vessels and fish carriers in an area. Read more about how vessel subtypes work →

We are continuing to update vessel details with information from other RFMO registers and additional RFMO vessel registers will be integrated soon.

Filters for setting area and vessel movement have been merged. Now when you want to choose to view vessels in set area or entered area from a foreign port you can do this at the same time as choosing your area of interest.

If you have many areas available, you will also see a search box to make it easier to find the one you are looking for.

You can now also highlight areas of interest on the basemap, which is great for when you are analysing multiple areas of interest. Read more about basemap layers →

We have upgraded our AIS data to include new sources of AIS data. We have also taken this opportunity to make changes that reduce our data centre's carbon usage.

Before the 12th of March all data will remain the same, while data from March 12th onwards will include the new data sources. With this change, we have seen an increase of around 11% in the number of vessels tracked in some congested areas.

If you're interested in learning more about the different types of AIS data sources, we have put together a short guide →

The vessel list now includes a summary for each vessel of all the events that have occurred since it last left a port. This is helpful for quickly assessing vessels in your analysis.

The frequency of key events and time at sea can also be used to sort the vessel list for prioritisation.

The manage tags page (available under Tagged vessels) now allows you to show or hide tags. Useful for hiding tags that may be less relevant to your current work.

Every vessel now has a combined corruption perceptions index score available in the vessel report. Higher scores suggest visits to countries with lower public sector corruption. A breakdown of countries or territories visited and their corresponding CPI scores is also included. The scores can be helpful for assessing vessels based on their port visit history. More about how the combined corruption perceptions index score for port visits works →

Global tags bring together various vessel lists around the world. The new OFAC: sanctioned vessels global tag identifies vessels that are blacklisted due to illicit activity and/or links to sanctioned owners or countries listed in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list, published by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC). More about using global tags to find noteworthy vessels →

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) record of currently authorised vessels has been integrated into Starboard. Similar to other fishing register integrations this can help speed up analysis with external information directly available in Starboard. The vessel register can also be used for filtering both in the analysis panel and as part of the advanced filters.

This is the third integration of this kind, and filtering of these lists can be done in a combined way. For example, finding vessels that are on both the IOTC and WCPFC authorisation lists but not on the FFA List of Vessels in Good Standing.

Records from the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) List of Vessels in Good Standing are available to view for vessels. This can help in two distinct ways, firstly to speed up analysis with the information directly available in Starboard.

The vessel register can also be used for filtering both in the analysis panel and as part of the advanced filters.

Learn more: How fishing register integrations are reflected in the app and how they work.

Vessel type is now updated with a subtype from the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Record of Fishing Vessels. This information is available for advanced filtering, for example, to identify transshipments between tuna longliners and fish carriers in an area. Read more about how vessel subtypes work →

It's the first of other vessel detail updates to come. More vessel details will be updated using WCPFC, and other RFMO vessel registers will be integrated in the future.

To make it easier to find the right vessel when you are searching, new filter options have been introduced. These can help to narrow your search by which identifier you are using, flag state, or vessel type and can be really useful when lots of vessels are returned for a search.

Discover vessels closely linked to illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) listed vessels based on past encounters. These connections can help to uncover hidden relationships and identify noteworthy vessels. Read more about how vessel networks work →

If a vessel makes unusual changes to its course such as unexpected deceleration and orientation changes, a new machine learning based algorithm will flag this event in the vessel's history and on the map. In addition, if a vessel is taking an uncommon route through an area, this will be flagged as an anomalous vessel movement event.

Anomalous movements are based on the GeoTrackNet model and can provide you with a new lens for filtering vessels and finding vessels that require further investigation. More about how anomalous movements work →

The global distribution of over 30,000 seamounts has been added to the basemap. This can provide useful context for fishing activity.

A new area based measurement tool means temporary areas can be drawn on the map and the size of the area evaluated. If needed these can be revisited by keeping a bookmark of the URL.

The vessel track history is now highlighted to reflect the event or journey. This occurs when moving the timeline or clicking on a vessel's track.

When a new vessel position is received that is impossibly far away from a vessel's previously reported position a new vessel is created in Starboard. This usually occurs due to poor quality AIS messages, faulty transponders or corrupt messages. New filtering of corrupt messages means the volume of these duplicate vessels will decrease in Starboard.

Buoys are now being detected and classified automatically during ingestion of AIS data. Previously they were only identified and classified sporadically, e.g. every month. Buoys are detected using a series of logical expressions to check the AIS reported name, callsign, vessel type, length, width, and other parameters. Buoys can be viewed by turning on the buoy data layer.

The fishing classifier is now processed hourly and potential fishing events that have occurred as recently as four and a half hours ago can be classified. This moves the classification of fishing events closer to real-time as it was previously updated daily and based on a rolling seven day period. This update also enables vessel journeys, that are classified as fishing, to be treated appropriately for future Starboard algorithms and analysis.

Advanced filters now have the option to exclude events, flag states, vessel types and flags. This gives added flexibility when analysing activity in an area.

Vessels can now be tagged to create lists of vessels and fleets that your organisation needs to keep track of. When vessels are tagged, the tag is added to the vessel history at the current time and location of the vessel. The user who assigned the tag is also noted. This means tags can help manage processes like vessel assessments, inspection, and surveillance planning. More about vessel tags →

The new default setting for viewing a vessel’s event history is to group events between port visits, making it easier to analyse a vessel’s journey and identify noteworthy activity. The original method of viewing events chronologically can still be accessed by sorting events by time as opposed to by journey

New wind velocity layer provides context for a vessel's movements. Like other oceanographic layers, wind is associated with a vessel and available in the vessel details panel. More about weather map layers →

New sea surface temperature and wave height layers provide context for a vessel's movements. To make vessel analysis easier these oceanographic layers are associated with a vessel and are available in the vessel details panel. More about weather map layers →

When a vessel has visited a New Zealand port the vessel's risk is reset to low. The loading speed of the hitchhiker vessel risk analysis has been greatly improved.

The Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) Record of Fishing Vessels has been integrated into Starboard. This can be useful in two distinct ways:

Firstly analysis is sped up as vessel register information is available directly in Starboard.

Secondly, the vessel register can be used for filtering both in the analysis panel and as part of the advanced filters.

Learn more: How fishing register integrations are reflected in the app and how they works.

Alerts have been extended with the ability to set an alert for any chosen vessel. This is helpful for knowing when a particular vessel exits or enters your area of interest. For example, you could set an alert if any vessel on a watchlist enters your EEZ.

Vessel downloads have been enhanced with a new download modal. This is particularly helpful when multiple types of downloads, or when downloads for several vessels, are needed. Downloads include vessel lists, vessel tracks and vessel events. File types are CSV and KML where appropriate.

A new line based measurement tool that includes both travelling time–based on configurable vessel speed–and distance.

Any area of interest can now be turned into a geofence by setting alerts for when vessels enter or exit them.

You can customise your alerts based on how frequently you would like to receive them, who they should be sent to and if they should be for all vessels entering the area or just those coming from a foreign port.

You can see all the alerts set for your organisation and can choose to subscribe to existing alerts that may be relevant for you.

Once an alert is set and a vessel triggers this alert, the event will be added to a vessel's history.

Port boundaries are used when defining a port anchorage or visit and we have now added these boundaries as a map layer. This can be useful for understanding which location has triggered a port visit event and is part of our ongoing work to enhance our ports database.

Both Radio frequency (RF) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite detections can be downloaded as a KML file. This can be useful if you are using Google Earth for additional data sources such as VMS.

Filtering of vessels on the map can now be done by vessel events, flag state or vessel type. This allows you to further customise your analysis and focus on those vessels with behaviours and characteristics of interest.

A new .csv download option is available that includes the vessel’s events and details of the event—time, duration and coordinates. In the case of port visits, this also includes the port name and territory. In the case of encounters, this also includes information on the vessel encountered.

This download responds to filters applied to the vessel’s track history including types of events and length of history, allowing you to customise your download for your analysis.

The estimated arrival port is now determined using information from three sources (where available) with the following priority; port schedules, self-reported destinations on AIS or the vessel’s movements. More about arrival estimation →

Filter track history in the left hand panel and in reports to quickly find events relevant to your analysis.

Measure your chosen distance from a set of coordinates in Starboard. This is particularly useful if you are wanting to plot distances from a location or asset at sea. More about using measurement circles →

We have completed our first ingestions of aerial asset data. The asset’s detections are layered with AIS, RF and SAR data for a complete picture of vessels in an area of interest.

See real-time vessel movements, via automatic identification system (AIS) data, with important events detected as the data streams into Starboard. The data is updated every 2-10 minutes.

Arriving vessels are automatically flagged if they have previously visited risk areas during risk periods for the Flighted Spongy Moth Complex (FSMC). More about hitchhiker pest risk assessments →

RF data has a good cost to coverage ratio and low latency. We can now ingest multiple types of RF data in real-time and combine this with AIS data for dark vessel detection. More about uncovering dark vessels with additional RF data →

Arriving vessels are automatically flagged if they have previously visited risk areas during risk periods for the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). More about hitchhiker pest risk assessments →

Explore and understand on-water vessel networks, through the automatic flagging of encounters—when two vessels meet at sea for at least 10 minutes.

More from February 2021 and earlier →