ABSTRACT
The seven studies in this work approach the analysis of ocean boundary making from a regional perspective. This is more than a simple organisational choice. Adoption of a regional perspective is based on the assumption that the regional level affords some insights not found in national or global analyses. Before such insights can be discussed, however, it is necessary to define with greater precision what a regional perspective entails, and what advantages it is expected to afford, in the context of ocean boundary-making studies. To this end it seems necessary to deal with at least three general questions. What unique advantages are presented by a regional analysis? How is the concept of a marine “region” to be defined? Finally, which factors or characteristics should be used to classify a marine region and to distinguish it from other regions?
