Risk assessment in marine transportation is an enterprise that has been undertaken for many years. The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of risk assessment, particularly in marine transportation, and to present recommendations for a new or updated risk assessment in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
First, an overview of the state of risk assessment science is presented, followed by a summary of maritime risk assessments undertaken between 1996 and 2005. Challenges associated with risk assessment in distributed, large-scale system are discussed, along with the particular challenges of risk assessment in marine transportation. Given these considerations, recommendations for a new and/or updated risk assessment in Prince William Sound are then presented. The document concludes with a summary and recommendations for next steps.