R suite for fisheries data

Turn vessel tracks into fisheries evidence

VMSbase brings vessel monitoring system and logbook data into one R environment, from data cleaning and SQL storage to effort maps and scientific outputs.

Get the package Read the setup notes

VMS and logbook data
SQL storage
Depth for every ping
R with a graphical interface

The VMSbase main interface with data management, analysis, and viewer tools

VMS pings Logbook rows Bathymetry Effort maps

What it is

A focused workspace for VMS and logbook analysis

VMSbase is an R suite for the analysis of vessel monitoring system (VMS) and logbook data, two of the primary sources of information for spatially explicit models of the fishing effort.

It is conceived to solve many of the nuisance details related to this specific kind of data, providing a straightforward path from data massaging and management to sophisticated analyses and outputs.

Large datasets, held in SQL

Process and store large VMS and logbook datasets as SQL databases, so loading and analysis stay efficient.

Interfaces that guide the work

A system of graphical interfaces makes each step easier to inspect, repeat, and explain to collaborators.

Methods that keep pace

Advanced methods process VMS and logbook data through cleaning, matching, classification, and mapping.

Depth for every ping

Assign sea bottom depth to each VMS ping and visualize bathymetry in the effort maps.

Workflow

From raw pings to mapped effort

The package carries a project through the steps that usually slow down VMS work.

Load the layers
VMS pings, logbook rows, land shapes, harbours, and bathymetry enter the project.
Clean and cut
Raw data is cleaned, and tracks are cut and interpolated where the analysis needs it.
Classify the effort
Metier classification and VMS logbook matching turn activity into interpretable effort.
Map the result
Effort maps, depth layers, and outputs are prepared for reports and publications.

Bathymetry map with VMS pings shown as red points — Viewer tools show pings, tracks, and bathymetry.

Mapping

See the track, the depth, and the effort

VMSbase is equipped with Viewer Tools to inspect data at different steps of the analysis and to produce effective outputs for reports and scientific publications.

Viewers show VMS pings, single or multiple tracks for fishing vessels, and data on web maps, so fishing effort and effort behaviour are easier to interpret.

VMSbase also estimates sea bottom depth for each VMS ping and visualizes bathymetry in the effort maps.

See the map resources

Database view with VMS and logbook tables — SQL tables keep large datasets ready for analysis.

Databases

Large datasets, held in SQL

VMSbase handles data as a Structured Query Language (SQL) database. This increases the efficiency and speed of analyses and of loading or storing large datasets.

Every tool has a visual interface, and VMS and logbook databases can be inspected as they are progressively modified through the analyses.

Open the documentation

Project