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Real-Time AIS Data API

Boost your business with live AIS API or raw NMEA data feeds. Get access to real time updates of vessel positions data, ship details, port calls and voyage information, arrival times and even more.

Live AIS API Web Service

Processing millions of raw NMEA messages every day our system decodes the raw AIS data and delivers it in a well-known XML or JSON format via our API.

The live AIS web service offers a set of AIS API endpoints that can be used to programmatically customise subsets of data for your GIS visualisations.

Vessel Positions

Latest AIS position and voyage data of any vessel or a fleet of vessels.

Fleet Positions

Latest AIS position and voyage data for a fixed fleet of vessels.

Vessels in Custom Area

AIS position and voyage data for all vessels in a specific area of interest.

All ports visited by specific vessel or all vessels that visited specific port.

Expected Port Arrivals

All vessels expected to arrive at a specific port along with their ETA.

Vessel Particulars

Technical information, capacity, ownership and other vessel's particulars.

Raw AIS NMEA Data

Raw AIS data streaming is the most optimal way of distribution of real-time AIS feeds with a minimum latency. The NMEA data format conforms to AIS specification and data sentences may be processed by all software systems designed to operate directly with AIS hardware equipment (AIS receivers, transponders or base stations).

The raw AIS data feed is provided via TCP/IP connection or UDP stream in compliance with client's requirements. The feed could be filtered by area, AIS source or message type. Position reports can be downsampled in order to reduce the required bandwidth between the client and our data center.

Data access is provided on a subscription basis and the applicable fee thereof depends on the size of the area, the number of receiving stations and the vessel traffic density.

Real-Time AIS Data Request

Send us more information about the service you are looking for and we will contact you with more relevant information.

Important note: for the migration of FleetMon products into MarineTraffic platform, we are discontinuing all account logins here by 25.02.2024 . Please ensure, that you have saved or migrated all data from FleetMon platform and that your MarineTraffic account is ready for your future use.

If you are interested in general access please check here and for Global AIS data & intelligence to power your projects please go here .

Latest Maritime News

Video: bulk carrier hijacked off the coast of somalia, crew taken hostage.

March 12, 2024, 2:25 p.m. ;'>2024-03-12 14:25 UTC in Maritime News

A bulk carrier that is being identified as the “ABDULLAH” has most likely been hijacked and its crew of 23 taken hostage off the coast of Somalia. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the incident took place around...

11 Crew Members Saved by Vietnam Coast Guard as Cargo Ship Sinks

March 12, 2024, 5:54 a.m. ;'>2024-03-12 05:54 UTC in Maritime News

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore(MPA) stated that a Vietnam-flagged cargo vessel, HUNG PHAT 89 (HP89), sank in the Singapore Maritime Search and Rescue Area. On March 10th, HUNG PHAT 89 (HP89), sailing about 380 nautical miles east of...

​Iran Agrees to Release Crew Aboard Confiscated Ship

March 11, 2024, 5:34 p.m. ;'>2024-03-11 17:34 UTC in Maritime News

Iran has declared that it will be releasing the 17 crewmembers that were aboard a ship they seized back in January, under the agreement that the released crewmembers be replaced by other crewmembers sent by the Philippine Government. The seized ...

New Company - Dorset Marine Surveys Ltd

Oct. 17, 2023, 9:34 a.m. ;'>2023-10-17 09:34 UTC in Company Register

Marine Survey Services. On Hire/ Off Hire Survey. Bunker Surveys Condition Surveys MCA Small Vessel Code of Practice Surveys Damage and Insurance Surveys

New Company - Cap Terminal S.A.

Aug. 10, 2023, 9:03 p.m. ;'>2023-08-10 21:03 UTC in Company Register

Cap Terminal S.A. (CTSA) of Cap Haitien , Haiti. operates the only full service container terminal in the Port of Cap Haitien, Haiti since 1998 .The port is fully accredited by the IMO ( International Maritime Organization) along with ISPS ...

New Company - METRO VOLTS LTD

Aug. 7, 2023, 12:21 p.m. ;'>2023-08-07 12:21 UTC in Company Register

Satellite voice and data (VSAT, satellite phones, SIM cards) Marine navigation electronics (RADARS, radios, GPS, autopilot etc) Paper & electronics Charts and publication Marine Automation and electrical Ship dry dock repairs services

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Have access to real-time AIS position data, technical information and photos from more than 500,000 vessels. Look up ship particulars, their schedules and port arrivals for the coming weeks, or analyze ship trading patterns.

FleetMon Explorer is your interactive tool for live AIS vessel tracking. Providing you with a real-time view of the marine traffic, from global overview to the single ship, it is an outstanding and powerful tool for operations monitoring, fleet tracking, logistics scheduling, research and traffic analysis that runs right in your browser. Several map types are available, including satellite maps and navigation charts. Start FleetMon Explorer and enjoy a stunning new perspective on the world of ships!

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Dear valued user,

As you are aware of our migration project of FleetMon into MarineTraffic, we have almost finalized all necessary steps. The discontinuation of all FleetMon product offerings is imminent.

Therefore, we are terminating our product offering here and a login is no more possible.

If you have not yet accepted our offering for an assisted migration and you need help to set up your account on MarineTraffic, please reach out to us:

• either via this request form
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If you need any last-minute transfer of your MyFleet or MyAreas please contact us, and we will assist you in a smooth transfer and minimise any disruptions for you.

We are excited to inform you about the merger between FleetMon and MarineTraffic, which will give you more services and tools in your online account. To make sure you have a seamless and effortless transition, our FleetMon Support Team will be taking care of the process for you.

We will create a new MarineTraffic account using the information from your FleetMon account. This includes your username, name, email address, address, telephone and mobile number, as well as your company name and affiliation (if applicable). After you log in to your new MarineTraffic account, we kindly ask you to reset your password for added security. Of course, you will continue to be able to use your FleetMon account for the time being (we will let you know the next steps about this at a later date).

Rest assured, all your subscriptions, whether monthly or yearly, will be matched accordingly. Your My Fleets and Tags, along with your Credit Points, will also be transferred to your new MarineTraffic account. Additionally, we will assist you in smoothly transferring your My Zones.

With your new MarineTraffic account, you will have access to all its features and services during the remaining duration of your FleetMon subscription. If your contract with FleetMon has already expired, there's no need to worry. We are offering a free trial period of two months, allowing you to experience and explore all the fantastic features MarineTraffic has to offer before deciding on a suitable subscription plan. If you encounter any issues or have any questions, contact our support team directly. They will be more than happy to assist you with your new MarineTraffic account.

We would also like to express our appreciation to the photo community for the incredible photos you have contributed over the past few years. Your contributions are invaluable, and we want to ensure that your efforts are preserved. Therefore, we kindly ask you not to transfer the photos manually. Rest assured, we are actively working on a technical solution that will automatically match and include your uploaded photos in your new MarineTraffic account.

We understand that this merger may bring some changes to the online services you are accustomed to. However, we are confident that once you start using your new MarineTraffic account, you will be delighted with the enhanced services and capabilities it provides, making it a seamless continuation of your previous experience.

For additional information, we recommend reviewing the Terms of Service , User Agreement and Photo Copyrights provided by MarineTraffic to familiarize yourself with the details of the new services.

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AIS data sharing and vessel tracking by AISHub

Realtime status.

Vessels (last 24 hours)

Why AISHub ?

How to share AIS data ?

• You fill the JOIN US form
• We send you our host/IP address and a UDP port where you can send your AIS data
• You enter our IP and UDP port in the output settings of your AIS receiver or software

How will I receive aggregated AIS data feed from AISHub ?

• TCP connection in raw NMEA format
• API in JSON, XML or CSV format

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VesselFinder

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VesselFinder Information about ships, cargo and Co.

You have access to much more data with VesselFinder, you can not only track the current position of the ships. With some ships and models, for example, pictures are available. Thanks to these, you can get a personal impression of the ship directly, a simple click or a tap on the corresponding symbol on the map is sufficient.

Furthermore, information about the cargo and the destination of the ship is at your disposal. If you also want to know where the ship started and how long the trip takes, even that is not a problem. And last but not least, the current speed of the ships should also be interesting for many. You can even see them, they are updated at regular intervals.

Try the vessel finder yourself and let yourself be convinced by the functionality and simple operation. We wish you a lot of fun!

If you’re seeking additional real-time data from various radar types, including flight, maritime, weather, and more, you can find it on the website https://live-radar.org/ .

The different ship types at VesselFinder

There are a large number of ships that can be tracked using VesselFinder. In our table we have summarized all ship types with the symbols and the meaning on the ship’s radar. With the help of the table you can easily see the location of the ship.

VesselFinder Mobile Applications

The mobile version of VesselFinder observation is also free and can be downloaded as app for Android and iOS. This allows you to track ship movements very well, even when you’re on the move. You can easily get to the mobile version by clicking on the corresponding link on the radar map at the bottom right.

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• Satellite AIS
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Global Vessel Tracking

VT Explorer provides access to real-time AIS position data, technical information and photos of over 150,000 vessels every day.

VT Explorer allows you to monitor the global picture of marine traffic from your PC or mobile. It is a powerful tool for fleet tracking, monitoring ship schedules and port arrivals for the coming weeks or analysing the ship trading patterns.

Combining data from a large network of Terrestrial AIS receivers and Satellite AIS technology, VT Explorer is one of the leading vessel tracking service providers all over the world, adding a great value to people in the maritime industry, insurance, and trading sector.

Global AIS Coverage

Management & ownership, extensive port database, 2-week track history, email / sms alerts.

Open this map on your mobile by scanning a QR code

Open this map on your mobile by scanning the QR code image with your camera

Marine Traffic AIS ship tracking on Google Maps

MarineTraffic has launched a Google Map displaying real time information about ship/vessel movements throughout the seas similar to VesselFinder.

Marine Traffic is developed as an academic project by the Greek University of the Aegean . It displays real-time AIS ship positions and information about vessel movements

Data is collected by receiving of Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions. IMO requires ships over 300 gross tonnage to install an AIS transponder on board. The transponder transmits vessel position, SOG and COG (speed and course over ground), ship name, ship size and next port of call .

The system is based on AIS (Automatic Identification System) . The International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires all vessels over 299GT to carry an AIS transponder class A on board, which transmits data on position, speed and course over ground , among some other static information, such as the vessel name, dimensions and voyage details.

Real time vessel tracking by Marine Traffic

MarineTraffic uses this information to plot the real time position of marine vessels on a Google Map . The vessels’ positions are shown on the electronic map in the shape of boats. The tags are coloured to show if the vessel is a tanker, passenger vessel, cargo vessel, yacht etc. Clicking on a tag displayes information about the vessel and its current destination.

MarineTraffic say they can expand their area of coverage to include any area worldwide. Anyone can install a VHF antenna, an AIS receiver and start immediately sharing data and seeing the vessels onto the map of Marine Traffic .

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Ship Radar 24 - Ship Tracker & Find AIS Online

Ais ship tracking - ship radar.

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Frequently Asked Question

On June 28, 2011 we went live with our new version of the map, this has been in development since 2008 and incorporates many new features that were requested. We are still making a few updates that should be complete in late July.

We are updating this documentation to reflect the changes, please check back for updates.

If you would like to use the old map please visit http://ais.boatnerd.com/v1

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a radio-based system used by ships and vessel traffic services to track the location of ships. Its primary purpose is collision avoidance. AIS uses digital radio signals transmitted over VHF maritime channels 87B (161.975 MHz) and 88B (162.025 MHz) to broadcast information about a ship including its name, position, speed, course, dimensions, destination, and status. The use of AIS is mandated for international ships over 300 gross tons under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). US and Canadian laws require its eventual use on the Great Lakes for ships over a certain tonnage. Some vessels, such as ferries operating on a constant route, are exempted.

Anyone with a marine radio that can monitor channels 87B or 88B can pick up AIS transmissions. However they are digital signals that must be decoded for a human to understand them. Inexpensive software packages are available to do this decoding, as well as more advanced navigation devices. While AIS can provide a simple text output, it is typically combined with some sort of electronic mapping or charting program. This page uses base maps provided by Google Maps with data pulled from a custom database. As radio signals, AIS transmissions have a limited range. This site extends the coverage range by linking multiple radio receivers through the Internet and combining all received AIS information onto one map.

The data shown on these maps is a few minutes up to an hour old depending on the station and delay in updates. AIS requires speed, position and course information to be broadcast every 2 to 10 seconds while underway and every 3 minutes while docked. Other information, such as ship size and destination, is to be broadcast every 6 minutes. This site itself refreshes every 10 minutes, so information could be perhaps 15 minutes or older at times.

Each ship is shown by an icon. The pointed end of the icon shows the rough direction of travel. There is a "tail" behind the ship showing its course over the past 10 minutes. The ships name is shown next to the icon.

By double clicking on the icon (not on the name box), a supplementary box shows up listing the: ship name, MMSI, ship type, latitude and longitude, speed, course, heading dimensions and status. Note that all this information is supplied by the vessel or personnel on board. We cannot correct spelling errors or incorrect data coming from a ship's transmitter.

• MMSI is the ships Maritime Mobile Service Identity, a nine digit unique identifier.
• Latitude and Longitude are shown in decimal degrees.
• Speed is over ground speed in knots
• Course is the actual direction being traveled at the last reporting time.
• Heading is the intended direction of travel.

If you would like to host a receiver please e-mail , all that is needed is a location near the water with an always -on Internet connection (like cable or DSL) where we can place an antenna and small receiver box. There is no cost for the equipment that we will maintain, the box uses minimal bandwidth and does not open any security holes. If you are using an AIS plotting software you can upload directly to our database via TCP/IP or UDP/IP upload, please e-mail for instructions.

No. Vessels under a certain size do not have to have AIS transmitters. Not all ferries who travel a constant route, regardless of size carry a transmitter.

Vessels that are laid up or are inactive do not always transmit an AIS signal. In addition, AIS transmissions, like all radio signals, have a variable range depending on transmission power and atmospheric condition. Finally, the current coverage is limited due to the current number of active receivers. Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online's volunteer staff is working diligently to provide the best coverage possible within the constraints of its limited non-profit budget.

The Map Tiles used as a base map for this page do not show water depths, aids to navigation, or any of the other features that set navigation charts apart from maps. While it should be obvious, it must be stated: Do not use these maps for navigation purposes. Not only are they not charts, they are not always completely up to date maps or images and will show land where there is actual a channel. For the most accurate view change the map type to satellite. We are working on a version that will display nautical charts.

When viewing the satellite or map view and a small scale (zoomed out), the icon or name label of one ship will often block the view of another icon or name label. Simply zoom in on that location using the zoom slider and position keys on the left side of the screen. At larger scales the labels won't overlap unless the ships are right next to each other. If that is the case, double click on the ship icons to get more detail, including the ships name.

Dimensions are entered by the vessel in meters, our system converts these to feet. If the dimensions were not entered correctly by the vessel it will not convert correctly.

Vessel type (freighter, tug, passenger, etc.) are enter by the vessel when they configure the AIS system, if they entered the wrong information it will dispaly incorrectly. We are updating the system so we can manually define the type for better sorting.

When using either the satellite or map view at a large scale (zoomed in), the ship icon will appear to be on land. The maps, the satellite photos have a certain range or degree of accuracy. The accuracy of a graphical AIS display can only be as good as the combined accuracy of its mapping and equipment components. So docked ships sometimes appear to be on dry land next to the dock instead of in the water. If a ship shows up miles from the nearest lake, it is likely a problem with its AIS transmitter or the electronic navigation system it might be linked to.

When using the satellite view, photos of actual ships appear in certain locations. These are ships that were there when the photo was taken, which may have been several years ago. Do not confuse these photographed ships with the AIS location icons.

Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online, the non-profit support organization for the Boatnerd website, has committed a substantial portion of its operating budget to develop this online system. The vast majority of the labor involved was provided by volunteers, but there are substantial equipment and operating costs. Please consider purchasing raffle tickets as a way to support this free service or hosting a receiver. http://www.boatnerd.com/trips/bn/

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This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Commercial use or Public Display is prohibited without prior written agreement. If your organization would like to display our system at your location please e-mail.

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   Vessel In Range

Mike Lynch and daughter among six missing after yacht sinks: What we know about disaster off Sicily coast

One person is confirmed to have died after the British-flagged luxury vessel named Bayesian sank, with 22 people on board. Sky News looks at what we know about the tragedy.

News reporter @samuelosborne93

Tuesday 20 August 2024 12:58, UK

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British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter are among six people missing after a superyacht sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily - with one person confirmed to have died.

Twenty-two people were on board the vessel, 15 of whom were rescued - including Briton Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter Sofia.

Four other Britons and two Americans remain missing, including Mr Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, according to Italian media. The entrepreneur's wife Angela Bacares was rescued.

Here's what we know about the sinking of the luxury vessel so far.

Follow live: People missing after superyacht sinks

What might have caused the sinking?

The British-flagged luxury vessel, named the Bayesian, capsized at around 4.30am local time off Palermo, according to ship-tracking site Marine Traffic.

It sank with 22 people on board - 12 passengers and a crew of 10, according to the Italian coastguard.

Waterspouts, essentially tornados which form over water, were seen as powerful winds battered the area overnight, local media said.

The yacht may have also tipped over more easily with all the doors open due to the hot weather, Sailing Today magazine editor Sam Jefferson has said.

"I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that," he said.

"The reason it got pinned over so hard was because the mast is huge. It acted almost like a sail. [It] pushed the boat hard over on its side. (The boat) filled with water before it could right."

What are waterspouts?

Waterspouts typically occur during thunderstorms and can develop very rapidly, within minutes.

Their spin generally reaches wind speeds between 75-200mph, but can reach as high as 300mph.

They can travel at around 10-20mph typically but can reach greater speeds, making them difficult to avoid - especially in something as slow-moving as a yacht.

Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, called the reports of a tornado or waterspout "rare" and "quite alarming".

"The vessel was at anchor in a recognised anchorage," Mr Schanck said.

"Depending on wind direction and the state of the sea, this informs the captain whether it is a safe area to anchor or not. There was nothing that was too concerning, for my eye. All in all, the captain used the information they had to make a safe call."

Who owns the yacht?

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch is among those missing.

The 59-year-old owner of the yacht is known as the "British Bill Gates" and has been in the headlines in recent months over a high-profile fraud case.

In June, a US jury cleared him of all charges , which were related to the 2011 sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP).

HP accused him of deliberately overstating the value of the company before it was acquired by the American tech giant.

Mr Lynch was extradited to the US to face trial in May last year and spent 13 months under house arrest in San Francisco as he awaited trial on 17 charges of conspiracy and wire fraud brought by the US Department of Justice - which were later reduced to 15 charges. He always denied any wrongdoing and was acquitted.

Read more: Lynch's co-defendant dies days before yacht sinking

Who was on board when the boat sank?

The vessel had passengers from Britain, America and Canada, the Italian coastguard said.

Most of those on board were British, Italian news outlets have reported, adding that the others were from New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Ireland.

Charlotte Golunski was among the Britons rescued. Her LinkedIn profile says she is a partner at Mr Lynch's firm Invoke Capital and has worked there since 2012.

Speaking after the ordeal, Ms Golunski told Italian media that she lost her daughter Sofia for "two seconds" amid the "fury" of the sea but was able to retrieve her. She said she held the infant above the waves until the lifeboat was ready.

"Many people screamed. Luckily the lifeboat inflated and 11 of us were able to get on board," she told ANSA.

The girl's father James Emsley also survived, according to Sicily's civil protection agency.

Also on board were Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of investment bank Morgan Stanley, his wife Judy Bloomer, a top US lawyer Chris Morvillo, who worked on Mr Lynch's criminal case, and his wife Neda Morvillo.

Ricardo Thomas, who was believed to be the on-board chef, has been found dead, Sicilian authorities told Canadian broadcaster CBC. He was reportedly from Canada but was living in Antigua.

Eight of those rescued were transferred to local hospitals and all were in stable condition, local media reported.

During rescue efforts, divers saw "corpses through the portholes" of the wreck as they recovered the body of a man at a depth of 50m (164ft), according to Salvo Cocina, the head of the Civil Protection of Sicily.

What do we know about the vessel?

The Bayesian was known for its unusual 75m (246ft) single mast - one of the world's tallest made of aluminium - and shared its name with the statistical method Mr Lynch's Autonomy software was based on.

It was built by Italian company Perini Navi in 2008 and last refitted in 2020.

It was listed for rent for up to €195,000 (£166,000) a week, according to online charter sites.

The luxury vessel, which was managed by yachting company Camper & Nicholsons, can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites.

It won a string of awards for its design, according to online specialist yacht sites.

Mr Schanck said the vessel would have been equipped with "high standard" life-saving appliances and radio communications. He added the yacht would have met all international standards and UK maritime coastguard agency regulations before its voyage.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

The boat left the Sicilian port of Milazzo on 14 August and was last tracked east of Palermo on Sunday evening, with a navigation status of "at anchor", according to vessel tracking site VesselFinder.

The Bayesian previously travelled to other parts of Sicily before its last sighting off the coast of the port of Porticello.

On Sunday, the boat was seen off the coast of Cefalu before it travelled towards Porticello, MarineTraffic data shows.

In the days before, the yacht travelled around four of the Aeolian islands, just north of Sicily.

It was previously named Salute, or "health" in Italian, when it flew under a Dutch flag. Its minimalist interior featured light wood with Japanese accents designed by the French designer Remi Tessier, according to descriptions on charter sites.

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Prosecutors in the nearby town of Termini Imerese have opened an investigation into the sinking.

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Restoration of cervical lymphatic vessel function in aging rescues cerebrospinal fluid drainage

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Cervical lymphatic vessels (cLVs) have been shown to drain solutes and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain. However, their hydrodynamical properties have never been evaluated in vivo. Here, we developed two-photon optical imaging with particle tracking in vivo of CSF tracers (2P-OPTIC) in superficial and deep cLVs of mice, characterizing their flow and showing that the major driver is intrinsic pumping by contraction of the lymphatic vessel wall. Moreover, contraction frequency and flow velocity were reduced in aged mice, which coincided with a reduction in smooth muscle actin expression. Slowed flow in aged mice was rescued using topical application of prostaglandin F 2α , a prostanoid that increases smooth muscle contractility, which restored lymphatic function in aged mice and enhanced central nervous system clearance. We show that cLVs are important regulators of CSF drainage and that restoring their function is an effective therapy for improving clearance in aging.

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Source data are provided with this paper. All other data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

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All relevant code is available in the public domain repository at https://gitlab-public.circ.rochester.edu/araghuna/bulk-flow-is-not-an-artifact_raghunandan_et_al_2021.git/ .

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Acknowledgements

We thank D. Xue for assistance with schematics. The study was funded by Lundbeck Foundation R386–2021–165 (to M.N.), The Novo Nordisk Foundation NNF20OC0066419 (to M.N.), NIH grants R01AT011439 (to M.N.), U19NS128613 (to M.N. and D.H.K.), R01NS100366 (to M.N.), RF1AG057575 (to M.N.), R01AT012312 (to D.H.K. and M.N.), Human Frontier Science Program RGP0036 (to M.N.), The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation (to M.N.), The Simons Foundation 811237 (to M.N.), the EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND; to M.N.) and the US Army Research Office MURI W911NF1910280 (to M.N. and D.H.K.). H.M. was supported by a Cerebrovascular Research Grant from the Aneurysm and AVM Foundation. The views and conclusions contained in this article are solely those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the NIH, the Army Research Office or the US Government.

Author information

These authors contributed equally: Ting Du, Aditya Raghunandan, Humberto Mestre.

Authors and Affiliations

Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Division of Glial Disease and Therapeutics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

Ting Du, Humberto Mestre, Virginia Plá, Guojun Liu, Antonio Ladrón-de-Guevara, Evan Newbold, Paul Tobin, Daniel Gahn-Martinez, Saurav Pattanayak, Qinwen Huang, Weiguo Peng & Maiken Nedergaard

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

Aditya Raghunandan & Douglas H. Kelley

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, USA

Aditya Raghunandan

Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Humberto Mestre

Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Virginia Plá & Maiken Nedergaard

Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

Antonio Ladrón-de-Guevara

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T.D., H.M., M.N., A.R. and D.H.K. designed the experiments. T.D., H.M., A.R., A.L.G., E.N., P.T., D.G.-M., G.L., S.P., Q.H. and W.P. performed all in vivo experiments. A.R performed two-photon image analysis and particle tracking velocimetry measurements based on techniques developed by D.H.K. A.R., V.P. and H.M. performed the immunohistochemical staining and analysis. T.D., A.R. and H.M. analyzed the data. T.D., A.R., H.M., D.H.K. and M.N. organized the data and wrote/edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Maiken Nedergaard or Douglas H. Kelley .

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Extended data

Extended data fig. 1 cervical lymphatic efflux is not modulated by cardiac and respiration forces..

( a–d ) Representative vessel contractions (blue curves) and downstream velocity (orange) phase-averaged waveforms compared to changes in measured cardiac (red curves) and respiration signals (green curves). ( e–h ) Linear regression of intrinsic rate or ejection rate with 95% confidence intervals did not reveal any correlation with heart rate or respiration rate.

Source data

Extended data fig. 2 mean pixel intensity of dextran dye is highly correlated with lymphatic vessel (lv) diameter and is a poor predictor of lv transport..

( a ) cLVs were labeled by the dextran (red) injected into the cheek, while microsphere particles injected into the CM appear green; (inset) the white arrows show the velocity of each particle. Scale bar: 50 μm. ( b ) Normalized LV diameter changes (as a percent of baseline), the mean fluorescence intensity changes (as a percent of baseline), and normalized flow speed in cervical lymph vessel before and after PGF 2α . Normalized flow speed was quantified by calculating the magnitude of the mean downstream velocity in each movie frame, then dividing those values by the corresponding value for the first frame (8.48 μm/s). Treatment with PGF 2α caused a 22.4% decrease in LV diameter and 41.7% decrease in mean pixel intensity, despite having a 146% increase in flow speeds. ( c ) Scatterplot depicting the correlation between computed z-scores of mean pixel intensity and, maximum flow speed and LV diameter. Linear regression between mean pixel intensity and max flow speed show that mean pixel intensity explains around 22% of the variance in flow speed and has a negative slope, counterintuitively suggesting that higher dye concentration correlates with lower flow speeds (P = 0.0044). Contrastingly, mean pixel intensity explains 68% of the variance in LV diameter and the relationship has a positive slope (β = 0.81), indicating that mean pixel intensity is highly correlated with LV diameter (P < 0.0001). Due to the strong correlation between mean pixel intensity and LV diameter, our dataset also suggested that wider LV diameters resulted in slower flow speeds (β = −0.69, R 2  = 0.33, P = 0.0003).

Extended Data Fig. 3 Lymphatic smooth muscle actin loss impairs phasic contractions in old age.

( a ) Representative images of cervical lymph vessels after labeling for nuclei (DAPI), collagen IV (Col IV) and smooth muscle actin. Orthogonal sections show 3D distribution. Scale bar: 100 μm. ( b-c ) Collagen IV and SMA fluorescence vary transverse to the vessel direction. Vessel width was normalized to allow direct comparison between lymph vessels. Thick lines represent mean intensity with SEM shown as shadowed area, thin lines being individual animals. If more than one lymph vessel was collected per individual, average fluorescence was calculated. Color dots are individual animals. Mann-Whitney (Interanimal, Col IV: Old vs Young, p = 0.3411, U = 6; SMA: Old vs Young, p = 0.0328, U = 1). Two-sided unpaired t-test was performed, Bar graphs show area under the curve calculated for both proteins, as mean ± SEM; n = 4–5 mice/group. ( d ) Representative phase-averaged expansion and contraction of lymph vessels for different age groups. Phase-averaging was performed over at least 10 cycles. ( e ) Representative normalized vessel wall velocity for different age groups, calculated by differentiating the curves in d. By definition, positive speeds signify expansion, and negative speeds signify contraction. Two-way ANOVA with Sidak’s multiple comparisons test was performed (d-e). Data are presented as mean ± SEM; n = 4-5 mice/group.

Extended Data Fig. 4 Cardiac and respiration rates are unaffected by PGF 2α .

( a ) Heart rate and ( b ) Respiration rates before and after PGF 2α for young and old mice groups. Two-sided paired t-test was performed. Data are presented as mean ± SEM; n = 5 mice/group.

Extended Data Fig. 5 PGF 2α sustains lymphatic drainage into cervical lymph nodes.

( a ) CSF clearance was evaluated via an intracisternal injection of ovalbumin-conjugated to Alexa 647 (OVA- Alexa 647) with or without PGF 2α in young and old mice. After 90 min sLN and dLN were dissected and taken imaging under microscope. ( b ) Representative images of the ex vivo lymph nodes with or without PGF 2α administration in young and old mice group. Scale bar = 2 mm. Fluorescent mean pixel intensity (MPI) normalized by the area of lymph nodes for sLN ( c ) and dLN ( d ). one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test. Data are presented as mean ± SEM; n = 4 mice/group.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information.

Descriptions of Supplementary Videos 1–7.

Reporting Summary

Supplementary video 1.

Simultaneous recording of lymph flow speed with ECG and respiration in scLVs. Two-photon microscopy imaging (left) and synchronized physiological measurements (right). Trajectories from particle tracking velocimetry are indicated by colored curves tracking the microspheres. Scale bar, 50 μm.

Supplementary Video 2

Simultaneous recording of lymph flow speed with ECG and respiration in deep cervical lymph vessels. Two-photon microscopy imaging (left) and synchronized physiological measurements (right). Trajectories from particle tracking velocimetry are indicated by colored curves tracking the microspheres. Scale bar, 50 μm.

Supplementary Video 3

Aging-induced reduction in cervical lymphatic function. cLVs in 2-month-old, 18-month-old and 22-month-old mice visualized with two-photon microscopy. Colored lines depict particle trajectories derived from particle tracking. Simultaneous changes in the vessel diameter and real-time instantaneous velocity of lymph in the downstream (efflux) direction are shown. Slower vessel contraction rates and efflux speeds are observed in aging. Scale bar, 50 μm.

Supplementary Video 4

Valve function in young and aged mice. Two-photon microscopy was used to capture healthy valve function in 2-month-old mice and dysfunctional valves in 22-month-old mice. Valve leaflets open and close to regulate flow in 2-month-old mice but are biased to remain open in 22-month-old mice, failing to regulate flow. Scale bar, 25 μm.

Supplementary Video 5

PGF 2α promotes scLV function in 2-month-old mice. Two-photon microscopy of scLVs in 2-month-old mice before (left) and after (right) the administration of PGF 2α . Colored lines depict trajectories from particle tracking. Simultaneous measurements of physiological signals before and after PGF indicate changes to vessel diameter and increased contraction frequency after administration of PGF 2α . No change in cardiac or respiration rates were observed. Scale bar, 50 μm.

Supplementary Video 6

PGF 2α rescues scLV function in 22-month-old mice. Two-photon microscopy of scLVs in 22-month-old mice before (left) and after (right) the administration of PGF 2α . Colored lines depict trajectories from particle tracking. Simultaneous measurements of physiological signals before and after PGF 2α show changes to vessel diameter and increased contraction frequency after the administration of PGF 2α . No change in cardiac or respiration rates were observed. Scale bar, 50 μm.

Supplementary Video 7

Fluorescence macroscope imaging of CSF efflux in scLVs in mice after PGF 2α treatment. Fluorescence macroscope imaging of CSF efflux in scLVs in 2-month-old or 22-month-old mice after intracisternal injection of a fluorescent CSF tracer for 60 min with or without PGF 2α . Scale bar, 2 mm.

Source Data Fig. 1

Statistical source data.

Source Data Fig. 2

Source data fig. 3, source data fig. 4, source data fig. 5, source data fig. 6, source data extended data fig. 1, source data extended data fig. 2, source data extended data fig. 3, source data extended data fig. 4, source data extended data fig. 5, rights and permissions.

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Du, T., Raghunandan, A., Mestre, H. et al. Restoration of cervical lymphatic vessel function in aging rescues cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Nat Aging (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-024-00691-3

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Received : 11 January 2023

Accepted : 16 July 2024

Published : 15 August 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-024-00691-3

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