Ninth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Grounded on the broader objectives of the research project “The Sea and the Shore, Architecture and Marine Hubs: The Impact of Sea Life on the Built Environment” (Lab2Pt / CIIMAR), this paper traces the complex relationship that exists between marine biology and the constructed environment through the lens of two marine resources in their association with an anthropic coastal activity: the sardine, associated with the canning industry that developed along the XX century in Matosinhos Sul in the north of Portugal; and the kelp seaweed, used as a natural fertilizer at the Masseiras fields — a specific agricultural system developed over dunes existing between A-Ver-o-Mar, in Póvoa de Varzim and Apúlia, in Esposende, Portugal. Based on a preliminary collection of documents and fieldwork, the objective of this paper is to establish the bibliographic, spatial, and temporal foundations that might allow for a deeper reading of the reciprocity between marine resources and the built environment. The paper begins by characterizing the two ecosystems under study: the sea, from the perspective of a habitat with dynamics and specific geophysical characteristics that support the life of the two marine species target in this work; and the coast, from the perspective of the economic, social, and urban factors that motivate the construction of two specific landscapes highly dependent on sea resources. Finally, we consider some possibilities of a cross-reading of the presented topic through cartographies and timelines.