A methodology for spatial planning of marine structures considering ship traffic, bathymetry, metocean and ice conditions

Journal article, 2026

This study presents a novel methodology developed to assess the impact and consequences of shipping related to marine spatial planning for new marine structures. It can be applied to identify suitable areas with the least negative influence on existing ship routes, considering ship traffic data (AIS data), bathymetry, ships’ fuel consumption, and metocean and ice conditions. The methodology section outlines the different methods and data sources and how these are integrated. Case studies for the Gulf of Bothnia illustrate the methodology’s capability and provide examples of results based on three years of ship traffic under different ice conditions. An example of fuel consumption prediction before and after installation of a new offshore wind farm in the Bay of Bothnia is presented to showcase how the environmental impact (emissions) from shipping changes.