Deconstructing marine maps: revealing map-making choices through fishing and recreational boating

2024/11/21 by Davret, Juliette
#cartography #critical GIS #fishing #geo-technologies #recreational boating #spatio-temporal variability

paper · doi:10.35109/atlasbleu-eng.10048

Abstract

Critical cartography has shown that maps are not neutral, yet they are a decision-making tool. This article uses the cases of fishing and recreational boating to explore possible map-making choices. These two distinct maritime activities, which are complex to map because of their spatial-temporal variability, provide an opportunity to address a wide range of cartographic issues. Data exist to describe fishing, but have limitations. Recreational boating, which is poorly monitored, lacks spatially mapped data. Exploring map-making choices based on the same dataset for each of these activities open up the black box of geographic information systems and reveals the influence of the choices made in data processing systems on the way maritime activities are represented.

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