shipping minister David Jamieson unveiled a commemorative plaque to celebrate a landmark in Southampton's nautical history.
He took part in a special ceremony to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the formation of the city's harbour authority.
It marked the time when, for the first time, a legal committee was set up to run the harbour.
The harbourmaster's department now manages the shipping and safety of vessels on what has become one of the busiest stretches of water in the UK.
During Mr Jamieson's visit, he toured ABP's vessel traffic services, which had a £2m refit last year, and had a close-up look at some of the world's largest container ships at the container terminal.
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