Navigation - Decreasing Fuel Consumption and Exhaust Gas Emissions in Transportation - page 216

DSC is a part of the GMDSS. It automatically sends a digital distress signal
identifying the calling vessel and the nature of the emergency with the help of
Maritime Mobile Service Identity which can identify ships and coastal stations [ 55 ].
Ship distress and safety communication contributes to optimal fuel consump-
tion and exhaust gas emissions. The system does not yet give direct information on
fuel management, but informs the captain and officers about all conditions which
can influence the maneuvering a ship [ 56 ].
14.3.3 Meteorological and Oceanographic Coordinator
and Supporting Service
The world's oceans are divided into 16 areas of responsibility for broadcast pur-
poses called either Metareas for meteorological information or Navareas for
navigational warnings. The Area Meteorological and Oceanographic Coordinator
(AMOC) and the Supporting Service must provide [ 57 ]:
• Basic meteorological forecasts; and
• Warnings tailored for specific areas.
The service may also include:
• Basic oceanographic forecasts for the concerned areas;
• Observing, analyzing, and forecasting of meteorological and oceanographic
variables required as input for models describing the movement, dispersion, and
dissolution of marine pollution; and
• Operating these models and accessing national and international telecommu-
nication facilities [ 58 ].
This information may be prepared by AMOC, another supporting service or by
a combination of both. The authority responsible within the designated Marine
Pollution Incident must receive information about the location and details of any
marine pollution or emergency response operations [ 59 ].
14.3.4 Broadcast for Navigation
The combination of Automatic Identification System (AIS) and beacon technology
can be provided as a backup system to make navigation more reliable [ 60 ]. AIS
transponders continuously transmit a vessel's position, course, speed, and other
data to all other near-by ships. In ship-to-shore mode, coastal surveillance is
important. Many countries deploy automated AIS base stations ashore to monitor
the movement of vessels in their adjacent waters and to navigate ships on inland