Maritime Security Communications with Industry (MSCI) Web Portal
The U.S. Maritime Alert and Advisory System serves as the consolidated U.S. government system for communication with U.S. maritime industry stakeholders regarding potential or observed maritime security threats. This system involves cooperation between U.S. government maritime security partners from the Departments of State, Transportation, Defense, 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).
A U.S. Maritime Advisory may precede or follow the issuance of a U.S. Maritime Alert and is intended to provide more detailed information, when appropriate. Extensive interagency collaboration among the Communications Core Group, 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 this web portal 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 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.
This system replaced the legacy Special Warnings to Mariners system, MARAD Advisories system, and global maritime security focused U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety Information Bulletins.
Maritime industry stakeholders who wish to be added to the email distribution list for U.S. Maritime Alerts and Advisories should follow the instructions in the Alerts/Advisories Subscriptions link on the left side of this page.