Scientists have created a map of the worlds businest shipping routes using GPS information from more than 16,600 cargo ships over the course of a year. Click on the image to read the article in Wired Magazine.

The world's busiest shipping routes, mapped over the course of a year. Click on the image to read the article in Wired Magazine.

Scientists have come up with the first comprehensive map of global shipping routes based on actual itineraries. The team pieced together a year’s worth of travel itineraries from 16,693 cargo ships using data from LLoyd’s Register Fairplay and the Automatic Identification System, which tracks vessels using a VHF receiver and GPS. A few hot spots logged the majority of journeys. The busiest port was the Panama Canal, followed by the Suez Canal and Shanghai.

From Wired, January 25, 2010