01985nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001653002500042653002200067653003200089653002100121653002200142653001200164100002400176700002500200700001300225700001400238700001600252700002100268700001900289700003000308245012600338300001200464490000700476520123600483       2024                            d10amaritime environment10asatellite imagery10aobject-based image analysis10avessel detection10aearth observation10aYOLO-v91 aOlympia Kourounioti1 aChristos Kontopoulos1 aHong Wei1 aAna Urbas1 aTomaz Rodic1 aHubert Fröhlich1 aJames Ferryman1 aVasiliki Charalampopoulou00aEURMARS: Use of Satellite Imagery as an Asset  for Maritime Environment Rapid Mapping and Object Detection in Large Areas  a149-1640 v553 a<p>The increasing complexity of maritime risks and threats requires accurate and timely identification for environmental and human safety. Satellite observations enable comprehensive surveillance of large maritime areas, which is essential for detecting and responding to environmental changes and potential threats. The Horizon Europe project EURMARS aims to develop and validate a multi-purpose observation platform to enhance detection capabilities for various risks and threats. This paper introduces a novel Earth Observation (EO) algorithm based on Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA), employing a You Only Look Once (YOLO) -v9 model to process data from open-access satellites (Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Landsat 8, 9) and video from the microsatellite NEMO-HD. Automatic Identification System (AIS) data are used to ensure comprehensive monitoring and validate the method’s results. Satellite imagery with AIS data integration is a critical element of the vessel tracking methodology, significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of maritime surveillance. Real-life demonstrations have confirmed the method’s effectiveness in enhancing maritime security and facilitating early detection and response to threats.</p>