Deep Routeing and the Making of ‘Maritime Motorways’: Beyond surficial geographies of connection for governing global shipping

Peters, K (2020) Deep Routeing and the Making of ‘Maritime Motorways’: Beyond surficial geographies of connection for governing global shipping. Geopolitics, 20 (01). pp. 43-64.

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Official URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14650...

Abstract

Geography has turned to towards the seas and oceans with much attention being paid to ‘water worlds’ through socio-cultural, political and environmental lenses. Geo-economic analysis in particular, has considered the role of containerisation, the port, and global logistics flows central to the contemporary shipping industry. However, where routeing enters discussion these debates remain ‘surficial’ with a focus on the rationale of lines of connection which are mapped onto the sea (rather than into the sea, as a liquid, three-dimensional, motionful space). This paper challenges considerations of ship routeing that only skim the surface. This paper adds depth to the discussion. It is argued that ship routeing is not a purely surficial exercise of charting a voyage across seas and oceans. Routes have a geo-politics predicted at times on the water’s depth, the topography of the ocean floor and seabed and marine resources. Drawing on a variety of examples, notably the traffic routeing scheme – or ‘maritime motorway’ – governing the flows of shipping in the Dover Strait, UK, this paper brings a ‘wet ontology’ and three-dimensional analysis to ship routeing. It is contended that such a recognition and discussion of deep routeing is necessary to shed light upon the often invisible processes sea that underscore the global logistics flows vital to society and the economy.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	14 Life Below Water
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	29 Jan 2019 09:18
Last Modified:	17 Mar 2024 02:37
DOI:	10.1080/14650045.2019.1567499
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3031900