Have You Registered For the New U.S. Maritime Alert and Advisory System?

Replacing the legacy Special Warnings to Mariners system, MARAD Advisories system, and global maritime security-focused U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety Information Bulletins, the U.S. Maritime Alert and Advisory System will now serve as the consolidated U.S. government system for communication with U.S. maritime industry stakeholders regarding potential or observed maritime security threats like piracy, armed robbery or geopolitical conflicts (rather than routine weather). 

Alerts are issued via the Maritime Security Communications with Industry (MSCI) Web Portal and involve cooperation between U.S. government maritime security partners from the Departments of State, Transportation, War, Homeland Security, the Intelligence Community, and the Global Maritime Operational Threat Response Coordination Center (GMCC).

U.S. Maritime Alerts expeditiously provide basic information (location, incident type, and date/time) on reported maritime security threats to U.S. maritime industry interests.  In some situations, a U.S. Maritime Alert may be issued to refute unsubstantiated claims.  U.S. Maritime Alerts do not contain policy or recommendations for specific courses of action (this type of information is reserved for U.S. Maritime Advisories).

U.S. Maritime Advisories may precede or follow the issuance of a U.S. Maritime Alert and are intended to provide more detailed information, when appropriate.  Extensive interagency collaboration among the federal agencies that encompass the U.S. Maritime Alert and Advisory System is required for each release of a U.S. Maritime Advisory.  The cornerstone difference between a U.S. Maritime Alert and a U.S. Maritime Advisory is the guidance provided to U.S. maritime industry stakeholders in an Advisory.  Additional information such as threat attribution, points of contact, and background information on the nature of the threat may also be provided in an advisory.

U.S. Maritime Alerts and Advisories are transmitted by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, emailed to U.S. maritime industry stakeholders, and posted to the MARAD  (Maritime Administration) website to inform mariners of potential maritime security threats.

Vessel Masters, Company Security Officers, ship operators, U.S. mariners, U.S. maritime unions and professional associations, and U.S. mariner related non-governmental organizations are the intended recipients of these messages.

The U.S. Maritime Alert and Advisory System utilizes a “whole-of government” approach vice a single U.S. government agency approach. While U.S. Maritime Alerts and Advisories are transmitted by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and are posted on this MARAD-hosted web portal, they should not be referred to as originating from a single agency.

Maritime industry stakeholders who wish to be added to the automatic email distribution list for U.S. Maritime Alerts and Advisories should self-register at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOTMARAD/signup/34916, even if they were previously registered prior to November 31, 2023.