Limits of Oceans and Seas
Limits of Oceans and Seas (French: Limites des Océans et Mers or Limites des Océans et des Mers, S-23) is a special publication of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defining the names and borders of the oceans and seas. The publication serves as an international standard for hydrographic surveying and nautical charting and is also consulted by others involved in maritime activities. It is authored by the organization's secretariat, the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB), and approved by IHO member states. It only covers sea surface features; undersea features are standardized in another IHO publication, the GEBCO Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names.[1]
History
[edit]A resolution at the 1919 International Hydrographic Conference called for the development of an international standard for defining maritime features. The IHB published the first edition of Limits of Oceans and Seas in 1928. Subsequent editions were published in 1937 and 1953. This third edition is currently in force.[1]
The third edition's age is recognized as a growing technical problem, but the IHO member states have been unable to reach agreement on updates to the standard due to political conflicts arising out of the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. A fourth edition was drafted in 1986 and nearly approved. Further development of the working draft began in 1998.[1] Changes included a new title, Names and Limits of Oceans and Seas, and new names for 60 seas.[2] In August 2002, it was resubmitted to IHO member states for approval, with the intention of distributing it in both print and digital formats. However, voting was suspended the following month, pending agreement between South Korea and Japan regarding the international standard name of the sea called "Japan Sea" in the 1953 edition.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Huet, Michel (August 6–10, 2001). Standardisation of Maritime Geographical Names: The Role of the International Hydrographic Organization (PDF). Proceedings of the 20th International Cartographic Conference. Beijing: International Cartographic Association. p. 4.
- ^ "The naming of seas: the associated problems and their resolutions". GeoGarage blog. Magic Instinct Software. August 11, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ Fourcy, Damien; Lorvelec, Olivier (March 2013). "A New Digital Map of Limits of Oceans and Seas Consistent with High-Resolution Global Shorelines" (PDF). Journal of Coastal Research. 29 (2). Coconut Creek, Florida: Coastal Education and Research Foundation: 471–477. doi:10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-12-00079.1. ISSN 1551-5036.
External links
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