43 Who’s Minding the Planet? HEADLINE OCEAN & COASTAL Attracting over 130,000 vessels annually, the city-state of Singapore offers a glimpse behind the curtain into the shipping community.2 Since the arrival of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1819 – and his successful effort to establish a trading post for the British East India Company – Singapore has developed into a thriving economic hub for Southeast Asia. This development is attributed to the area’s strategic location for commerce, sitting squarely at the mouth of the Malacca Strait where 40% of all maritime traffic passes each year.3 Ultimately, Singapore has some of the busiest ports in the world and is at the intersection of trade between 120 different countries, plus.4 A Focus on Efficiency & Safety With the large volume of cargo vessels relying on the country’s ports, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has the challenging task of managing the safe and efficient operation of surrounding waterways. While the average consumer may not spend much time considering how goods arrive at their doorstep, behind the scenes agencies like the MPA are intimately involved with the logistics. Per the MPA, there are approximately 1,000 ships in Singapore at any given moment, with a ship arriving or departing every two to three minutes. The agency’s Port Operations Control Centre monitors vessel traffic for up to 10,000 ships, ensuring cargo is delivered in a timely manner, on schedule, and as safely as possible.5 This is no simple undertaking, especially considering the size and scale of container ships are exponentially growing in size, some reaching nearly 400 meters in length thanks to growing pressure to maximize shipping volume.6 Sources 1 Business.un.org, IMO Profile 2 MPA Singapore (Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore), Facts & Trivia 3 The Economist, Why Singapore Became an Economic Success 4 MPA Singapore (Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore), Facts & Trivia 5 MPA Singapore (Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore), Facts & Trivia 6 Marine Insight, World's 10 Biggest Container Ships 2017 MALAYSIA Pulau Tekong Singapore Changi Airport SINGAPORE Singapore Straight Singapore is one of the busiest ports in the world. Installing a Storm3 Data Logger into a HydroMET system Land reclamation works for Pulau Tekong also require large dredging vessels.