A process of applying a protective coating to a vessel comprising the following steps: (i) selecting a protective coating, wherein the selection is made on the basis of risks associated with regions where the vessel has travelled or is expected to travel; (ii) providing the protective coating selected in step (i), and then (iii) applying the protective coating provided in step (ii) to the vessel, wherein step (i) comprises the following steps: (a) dissecting the environment into separate regions, and associating a risk rating with each region, (b) obtaining information about the route(s) the vessel has historically taken and/or will take in future through the environment, over a specified period of time, wherein information obtained is GPS or AIS data, (c) computer-implemented determining which regions of the environment the vessel has travelled and/or will travel through over the specified period of time, wherein the step also includes determining the amount of time the vessel has spent/will spend in each region in said specified period of time, (d) computer-implemented combining the data from steps (a), (b) and (c) to calculate the average risk rating the vessel has experienced and/or will experience in the specified period of time, and (e) based on the average risk rating calculated in step (d), selecting a protective coating that has been associated with that average risk rating, wherein step (e) requires the average risk rating which is calculated in step (d) to be matched with the most suitable protective coating which has been pre-designated as being the most suitable protective coating for protection against that level of risk. (i) selecting a protective coating, wherein the selection is made on the basis of risks associated with regions where the vessel has travelled or is expected to travel; (ii) providing the protective coating selected in step (i), and then (iii) applying the protective coating provided in step (ii) to the vessel, wherein step (i) comprises the following steps: (a) dissecting the environment into separate regions, and associating a risk rating with each region, (b) obtaining information about the route(s) the vessel has historically taken and/or will take in future through the environment, over a specified period of time, wherein information obtained is GPS or AIS data, (c) computer-implemented determining which regions of the environment the vessel has travelled and/or will travel through over the specified period of time, wherein the step also includes determining the amount of time the vessel has spent/will spend in each region in said specified period of time, (d) computer-implemented combining the data from steps (a), (b) and (c) to calculate the average risk rating the vessel has experienced and/or will experience in the specified period of time, and (e) based on the average risk rating calculated in step (d), selecting a protective coating that has been associated with that average risk rating, wherein step (e) requires the average risk rating which is calculated in step (d) to be matched with the most suitable protective coating which has been pre-designated as being the most suitable protective coating for protection against that level of risk. (a) dissecting the environment into separate regions, and associating a risk rating with each region, (b) obtaining information about the route(s) the vessel has historically taken and/or will take in future through the environment, over a specified period of time, wherein information obtained is GPS or AIS data, (c) computer-implemented determining which regions of the environment the vessel has travelled and/or will travel through over the specified period of time, wherein the step also includes determining the amount of time the vessel has spent/will spend in each region in said specified period of time, (d) computer-implemented combining the data from steps (a), (b) and (c) to calculate the average risk rating the vessel has experienced and/or will experience in the specified period of time, and (e) based on the average risk rating calculated in step (d), selecting a protective coating that has been associated with that average risk rating, wherein step (e) requires the average risk rating which is calculated in step (d) to be matched with the most suitable protective coating which has been pre-designated as being the most suitable protective coating for protection against that level of risk.