Beginning Monday, some Golden Gate Ferry passengers will be screened with state-of-the-art technology that can detect even trace amounts of explosive materials.

At a news conference at the Larkspur ferry terminal Monday morning, Golden Gate Transit officials, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration, explained the new technology and lauded its potential benefits.

The screening process, known as Secure Automated Inspection Lanes, or SAIL II, will be tested in a 30-day pilot program that, if successful, could be used to protect ferry systems throughout the country, according to TSA officials.

For now, the screening will take place during off-peak hours on ferry trips between Larkspur and San Francisco, according to Maureen Middlebrook, president of the board of directors of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District.

If things go smoothly, the screening will be expanded to include regular commute hours.

Passengers traveling during screening times will be handed a small pamphlet-sized document that they will then hand back to TSA officials as they pass through security. The screeners will run the document through a scanner. Passengers who do not pass the first screening will be directed to a secondary screening area, TSA officials said. The screening takes between 15 and 20 seconds.

Vice Admiral Harvey E. Johnson, Commander of the Pacific Area of the U.S. Coast Guard, which is working in conjunction with the TSA on the pilot project, said he estimates that with two primary screening lanes open, the TSA should be able to screen about eight riders per minute.

Johnson said the technology is part of a larger approach to preventing terrorism on the nation's ferry systems. "This is one element of a layered defense system," he said.