What Is Vessel AIS Missing, and Why Do We Care?

Miksis-Olds, J.L., I.T. Jones, S.B. Martin, and K.D. Heaney

The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life IV. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham. (2026)

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-94229-7_100-1

The global automatic identification system (AIS) enables the tracking and identification of vessels equipped with an AIS transponder. Vessel AIS detections are now being incorporated into soundscape models as one of many input parameters for sound level predictions that also include wind data, sound speed profile, seafloor composition, and bathymetry data. Recent efforts to compare soundscape models to acoustic measurements along the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) as part of the Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network (ADEON) indicated site-specific differences between model predictions and sound level measurements. Hypothesized causal mechanisms of the model-measurement discrepancies include the spatial variability of seafloor composition impacting sound propagation, contribution of biological signals, and fidelity of vessel AIS data. This work directly addresses the question of vessel AIS fidelity by comparing AIS detections to passive acoustic detections with the understanding that not all vessels have an AIS transponder, and not all vessels with transponders have them turned on all the time. Results indicate that AIS fidelity is regionally specific and related to water depth, distance to shipping lane, and distance from land. Understanding the spatial variability of AIS fidelity will likely play an important role in future soundscape models and predictions.