Mauritius Maritime Heritage through GIS Mapping of Wrecks for Environmental Impact
Assessment
Dublin Core
Title
Mauritius Maritime Heritage through GIS Mapping of Wrecks for Environmental Impact
Assessment
Assessment
Description
Due to frequent naval battles and inclement weather conditions, Mauritius has been the site of an extensive number
of shipwrecks. Research-based on historical and archival sources carried out over more than thirty years seeks to
record this extraordinary heritage resource, the number of shipwrecks is estimated at over 1200, demonstrating the
great potential of the island’s maritime context. Starting from this impressive database, a new GIS project,
“Mauritius_shipwrecks_GIS”, is mapping all these shipwrecks. The aim is to create varied mechanisms to visualize
the potential of maritime heritage for Mauritius, serving as a concrete example for future development in this region,
and the wider Indian Ocean.
This endeavour is particularly relevant and timely, given that the Mauritian government has started
promoting the development of an oceanic economy to make this sector one of the pillars of its economy. This
initiative is replicated regionally. Therefore, the mapping of all wrecks in Mauritian waters, as a collaborative
endeavour with the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration, had the
potential to serve as a significant impetus for the formulation of a systematic approach that can guide the
decision-making process not only for the protection of these wrecks but also to mitigate potential impacts on the
environment as might occur through unsympathetic development.
of shipwrecks. Research-based on historical and archival sources carried out over more than thirty years seeks to
record this extraordinary heritage resource, the number of shipwrecks is estimated at over 1200, demonstrating the
great potential of the island’s maritime context. Starting from this impressive database, a new GIS project,
“Mauritius_shipwrecks_GIS”, is mapping all these shipwrecks. The aim is to create varied mechanisms to visualize
the potential of maritime heritage for Mauritius, serving as a concrete example for future development in this region,
and the wider Indian Ocean.
This endeavour is particularly relevant and timely, given that the Mauritian government has started
promoting the development of an oceanic economy to make this sector one of the pillars of its economy. This
initiative is replicated regionally. Therefore, the mapping of all wrecks in Mauritian waters, as a collaborative
endeavour with the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration, had the
potential to serve as a significant impetus for the formulation of a systematic approach that can guide the
decision-making process not only for the protection of these wrecks but also to mitigate potential impacts on the
environment as might occur through unsympathetic development.
Creator
Stefania Manfio
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Manfio, Stefania . 2023. “Mauritius Maritime Heritage through GIS Mapping of Wrecks for Environmental Impact Assessment.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Brian Fahy. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1988
Files
Citation
Stefania Manfio , “Mauritius Maritime Heritage through GIS Mapping of Wrecks for Environmental Impact
Assessment,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1988.
Assessment,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1988.