In it’s quest to facilitate information between maritime stakeholders, namely between government and commercial entitities, the federal government has invested heavily in several web based platforms.
For example, the Department of Transportation/MARAD developed MARVIEW, described as “an integrated data-driven environment providing essential information to support the strategic requirement of the U.S. Marine Transportation System (MTS) and its contribution to the economic viability of the Nation.” Marview provides a wealth of information, from port statistics to live AIS vessel tracking. Similarly, the USCG had developed HOMEPORT, a site with everything from regulations to point of contacts with in specific CG sectors.
But a tool is only useful if it is actually used, and its value lies in meeting it’s users need. That said, is MARVIEW and HOMEPORT useful tools for the maritime community? Is it meeting a need? Should they be changed, modified, or eliminated? (a real possibility given the present round of budget cuts) Does anyone know about these tools outside of the federal maritime community?
Check them out: