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April 3, 2026OceansOpen Access

A Spatio-Temporal Study of the Presence of Vessels Within a Natura 2000 Marine Protected Area of the Maltese Islands

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Authors

SASarah Anne AbelaADAlan DeidunAGA Amato Gauci

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Overview

This spatio-temporal study reveals vessel activity overlaps with sensitive marine habitats in a protected area, suggesting urgent management needs.

Key Points

  • The study aims to assess the overlap of vessel activity with marine habitats in a protected area.
  • Analyzed Automatic Identification System (AIS) data from 2017–2022.
  • Assessed five vessel categories: passenger, fishing, cargo, tanker, and tug/towing vessels.
  • Integrated vessel density with the distribution of four Annex I habitat types.
  • Identified spatial and temporal hotspots of vessel presence within the protected area.
  • High vessel density was observed for passenger and fishing vessels in ecologically sensitive habitats.
  • Distinct hotspots of vessel activity were identified, particularly in bay areas along the MPA boundary.
  • Cargo and tanker activities were more concentrated offshore, indicating varied pressure across vessel types.

Cite This Study

Abela et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69cf5d1f5a333a821460ac92https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans7020030
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