Abstract
The Caribbean Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are some of the most strategic maritime basins. In such sensitive, unequal and sometimes unstable regions, it is necessary for the coastal states to develop and/or enhance their maritime surveillance. We chose these regions as the center for our analysis. The research is based on the latest European maritime projects. First of all this study aims at creating a state of the art. The objective is to make a synthesis of the services provided by industries in both military and civil fields. We would like to estimate how it would be possible to improve and to complement the existing technologies. Secondly the aim is to estimate the value of the information and data extracted from a satellite image. We will answer this question by creating an historical account of observation tools used for maritime surveillance with their characteristics, advantages and drawbacks.