With the development of radio in the late 19th century, telegraph and voice communication became an important element of safety at sea. The development of radar during World War Two made it possible to accurately monitor and track shipping traffic, but intensive radio communication was the basis for the object identification and exchange that is a key element of metocean and other safety related message systems.

Since long ago, it has been known that an automatic electronic reporting device fitted to a ship would be beneficial to safety at sea, protection of the marine environment and the identification and monitoring of maritime traffic. With the advent of Global Navigation Satellite Systems, and modern data communication techniques, an automatic reporting system was developed for maritime applications.

The paper will give an overview of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and its contribution to safety at sea and environmental protection.