ABSTRACT
The observation of maritime activity has been a field of research ever since SAR images of the ocean surface became available. This is because SAR images provide global scale coverage, independently of the weather and of the night/day cycle, and high spatial resolutions. More specifically, ship detection and classification from SAR images are effective tools for fishing activity monitoring and detection of ships responsible for marine oil pollution. Furthermore, SAR images are used for detecting illegally operating ships that increase marine crimes including smuggling and sea-jacking by piracy.
