Public API

Public API for UKCS data discovery.

The API provides lightweight access to catalogue metadata, named feature and area searches, metocean capabilities, wind generation, and selected live offshore context.

OpenAPI JSON llms.txt

Base URL

https://api.ukcsdataatlas.com

The documentation and OpenAPI file are hosted on the public website. API calls are served by the API subdomain.

Endpoints

Catalogue	`GET /api/catalogue` Dataset/provider catalogue, attribution links, and source recency metadata.
Feature search	`GET /api/search-features?q=Galleon` Search named map features and return centres and extents.
Search summary	`GET /api/search-features/summary` Counts of searchable features and source layers.
Point AOI search	`GET /api/search-open-datasets?lat=53.5&lon=1.8&radius_m=25000` Search datasets around a point and radius.
Geometry AOI search	`POST /api/search-open-datasets` Search datasets using a GeoJSON point, line, polygon, or multipolygon geometry.
Recency	`GET /api/dataset-recency` Current source and tile-cache recency metadata.
Attribution	`GET /api/source-attributions` Provider attribution, licence, and source-link metadata.
Metocean capabilities	`GET /api/metocean/capabilities` Available modelled metocean providers and products.
Wind farms	`GET /api/wind-farms` Monitored UK offshore wind farms with capacity, operator, and latest confirmed and indicative output.
Wind generation	`GET /api/wind-farms/{farm_id}/generation?from=2026-07-01T00:00:00Z&to=2026-07-27T00:00:00Z&resolution=half_hour` Confirmed and indicative generation series for one farm. Resolution is `half_hour`, `day`, or `month`; the range cannot exceed 2200 days.
Helicopters	`GET /api/helicopters` Live offshore helicopter positions over UK waters, with callsign, registration, type, inferred operator, altitude, groundspeed, track, and an hour of trail. Confirmed fixes are retained in PostGIS for 90 days and the latest hour is restored after an API restart; the response `storage` block reports persistence health. Aircraft that fade from receiver coverage stay listed: `estimated` while a dead-reckoned position is still credible (5 minutes from the last fix), then `lost` frozen on that fix, and dropped after 45 minutes. `lat`/`lon` is the position to draw and `fix_lat`/`fix_lon` the last confirmed fix, so an estimate is always separable; an empty list with a `status` field is a normal quiet-period answer, not an error.
Vessels	`GET /api/ais/vessels?trail_mmsi={mmsi}` Live Kystverket AIS positions in Norwegian waters, delivered by BarentsWatch, with vessel particulars and an optional recent trail for one MMSI. The response reports tracker and persistence status so unavailable or warming-up states remain distinguishable from an empty live snapshot.

Wind generation attribution

Generation data is derived from Elexon Insights B1610 and PN datasets. Contains BMRS data © Elexon Limited copyright and database right. Balancing Mechanism unit to wind farm mapping follows Nost, Ole Anders (2025), Offshore wind power production in the North Sea.

Helicopter position attribution

Live aircraft positions © adsb.lol contributors, made available under the Open Database License (ODbL) v1.0. Coverage is line-of-sight from volunteer ground receivers, so gaps mid-route far offshore are normal. Not for navigation or operational use.

Vessel position attribution

AIS data are collected by the Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) and delivered by BarentsWatch under NLOD unless otherwise stated. The public feed excludes fishing vessels under 15 metres and leisure or sailing vessels under 45 metres. Not for navigation or operational use.

Example

Search open datasets within 25 km of a point:

curl "https://api.ukcsdataatlas.com/api/search-open-datasets?lat=53.512523&lon=1.830577&radius_m=25000"

Search using a GeoJSON AOI:

curl -X POST "https://api.ukcsdataatlas.com/api/search-open-datasets" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{"geometry":{"type":"Point","coordinates":[1.830577,53.512523]},"radius_m":25000}'

Scope

This public API supports data discovery and marine spatial context. It does not expose account data, saved AOIs, subscriptions, internal health checks, private model-cache files, or account-gated exports.

Source datasets remain subject to original provider licences and attribution requirements. Results should be checked against authoritative source systems before operational, legal, or statutory use.