Data readiness for S-100: the ports' perspective

Ports face growing pressure from larger ships, busier channels, and changing navigation demands. Higher-resolution S-100-ready data can improve safety, efficiency, and coordination — and help ports keep pace with peers already exploring these capabilities.

Image below: Multibeam bathymetry in the Solent. Gaps in coverage are clearly visible on the left- and right-hand sides. 

Ports are operating within increasing constraints. Vessels are getting larger. Traffic density is increasing. Many approaches and navigation channels are dredged, tidally constrained, or both. At the same time, ports are under pressure to improve efficiency, reduce delays and maintain safety margins, often within the same physical footprint.

Against this backdrop, digital navigation is evolving. The industry is beginning to move away from static, generalised representations of the seabed towards higher-resolution, layered S-100 standards. These can support better situational awareness and more informed decision-making.

As digital navigation evolves, an important question emerges: is port data detailed enough to support what modern systems are beginning to ask of it? This matters, not just because of emerging standards or S-100 timelines, but also because data quality increasingly underpins how constrained water space is used, managed, and shared.

The move towards S-100 is often discussed in terms of standards, systems, and timelines. But beneath that sits a more fundamental change: rising expectations of source data. 

Sea trials and early implementations have highlighted that legacy survey data — while entirely fit for traditional charting — may not always support emerging high-resolution digital layers when these are displayed or combined in new ways. In particular, limitations become apparent where coarse bathymetric data is asked to coexist with finer-scale environmental or operational information. 

This is not about data being ‘wrong’ or ‘outdated.’ It is about new use cases placing different demands on data density and consistency.

For certain S-100 data layers, particularly those concerned with bathymetry, this means higher-resolution seabed data is a prerequisite.

Image below: High-fidelity bathymetric survey from multibeam echosounding (showing prominent coverage gap) of the Solent, UK. 

For ports, the conversation often comes down to resolution. 

While requirements will vary by location and use case, discussions increasingly reference bathymetric data capable of supporting visualisation at around 2 metres per pixel. Achieving this level of detail is typically only possible using multibeam echosounding, particularly in areas where precise under-keel clearance or navigable limits are critical. 

This represents a significant change from some historic survey approaches, and it is important to acknowledge that:

• The scale of the task can be significant
• Survey planning, prioritisation, and cost all matter
• Not every area needs the same level of detail

However, for some ports, particularly those on primary shipping routes or handling large vessels, this level of survey capability is often already within reach; or aligns closely with existing or planned survey activity. 

Crucially, higher-resolution bathymetric data is not an ‘extra’ for S-100. For some layers, it is a foundational requirement.

From a port perspective, investing in collecting higher-quality, S-100-ready source data is not primarily about compliance. It is about control, resilience, and alignment with how port operations are evolving.

More precise bathymetric data can give ports greater confidence in how limited navigable water is used, particularly in dredged, tidal, or heavily trafficked waterways. In some contexts, this could support more informed decisions about navigable tidal and cargo windows, vessel movements, and safety margins, helping to reduce the risk of groundings or costly channel blockages.

Image below: S-101 ENC of Isle of Wight area with S-102 and S-111data layers applied. 

Busy ports increasingly depend on a wide range of information — from infrastructure and traffic to environmental conditions and local navigation features — to manage daily operations. At present, this information is typically spread across multiple systems or held by individuals and is not always visualised together. A common S-100 framework offers a way to integrate these data layers more consistently, which could support enhanced situational awareness in both routine operations and periods of disruption.

Ports, vessel operators and charterers are already working together on practices such as just-in-time arrival, speed optimisation, and collaborative port call planning. Higher-quality, standardised data strengthens this collaboration, supporting more confident and coordinated decision-making across the port call ecosystem. 

Using a common data framework can help improve shared understanding between ports, ship operators, terminal operators, and charter parties. While outcomes will vary, greater clarity, coordination, and predictability can help ports avoid unnecessary delays, operational disruptions, and costly disputes, particularly when conditions change.

Implementing higher-resolution, S-100-ready surveys is not a quick or simple task, but it is a strategic investment in risk management, operational resilience, and long-term readiness. Targeted efforts — for example, focusing on primary navigation channels or high-traffic areas — make the work manageable while reducing exposure to delays, operational disruptions, and costly disputes. 

Acting now also positions ports to align with emerging practices such as just-in-time arrivals and improved coordination across the port call ecosystem. Ports that take early steps can maintain control over constrained waterways and stay on par with peers already exploring these capabilities, such as the Port of London.

Before looking ahead, it’s worth noting that improvements in data quality have already delivered tangible benefits through the evolution of Electronic Navigational Charts. The move towards higher-density ENCs has shown how more detailed, consistent source data can improve clarity, usability, and confidence for mariners operating in complex port environments. 

Next-generation S-101 ENCs, for example, build on this foundation by supporting improved symbology, richer attribution, and greater consistency across data layers. This will help mariners interpret port environments more clearly and reliably. These developments illustrate an important point: richer outcomes begin with richer data. 

Where the necessary data foundations are in place, S-100-based products have the potential to support a range of positive operational outcomes for ports and their users.

These may include:

S-100 is not an overnight change; it is a long-term transition but preparing for it begins with understanding data readiness today.  

• What bathymetric data is already held?
• Where is it sufficiently detailed — and where might it not be?
• How well would it support emerging S-100 layers and use cases?

For ports, maintaining control over increasingly constrained waters ultimately comes back to a conversation about higher-quality data. Doing so positions them to seize emerging opportunities in digital navigation and keep pace with leading ports that are already preparing.

As Head of UK Data Partnerships, Paul is responsible for developing and maintaining partnerships with UK data suppliers including ports and harbours. On behalf of the UK Hydrographic Office, Paul works to facilitate and improve data exchange for the benefit of both parties.

The UK Hydrographic Office will continue to support the maritime community through this important transition at an appropriate pace. 

Just as we supported the industry through the mandatory transition to ECDIS, the UKHO is committed to helping all stakeholders prepare for S-100 with clear guidance, informative seminars, official data and practical tools.

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