Case 09 / Maritime OSINT
Flight or vessel route claim
Assess a vessel route claim by combining AIS history, satellite imagery, media reports, and gaps in public tracking data.
Real-case basis: Open-source reconstruction of the leaking barge linked to the Tobago oil spill.
Data package
Vessel or barge name, IMO/MMSI, or media claim
AIS history, port visits, and route timeline
Satellite or visual evidence for AIS gaps
Ownership, former names, and registration context
Task
Mark AIS gaps instead of treating tracking data as complete.
Check whether satellite or media imagery fits the AIS timeline.
Separate seen, claimed, and recorded in the report.
Hint
If AIS is off, it does not prove the vessel was absent.
Vessels may change names. Persistent identifiers matter.
Satellite images and AIS points may have different time precision.
Answer key
AIS, satellite, and reporting should be shown on one timeline with separate confidence levels.
The Bellingcat case combined public tracking and visual evidence to build the event history.
A careful report avoids exact claims for periods with no public signal.
Weak analysis example
If the vessel does not appear on AIS at that moment, it definitely was not in the area.
Careful report example
AIS history supports parts of the claimed route, but public-signal gaps remain. Satellite and open reporting support some missing periods. The route is supported, but exact language should not be used for AIS-dark intervals.