A seaport provides services on the sea coast.
A seaport is an infrastructure located next to the ocean that offers various services to vessels. It should be noted that, although the term port can be used in different areas, its broadest meaning is associated with the space that provides certain facilities for carrying out a certain operation.
Located on a shore or on the coast , a port allows ships to carry out unloading and loading or disembarkation and embarkation operations. In the case of seaports, they give ships a safe place on the sea coast to carry out different tasks.
Through different works , such as the construction of locks or docks, the seaport protects vessels from waves . In this way, goods can be loaded or unloaded or the boarding and disembarking of crew members and passengers can be facilitated with greater comfort.
Seaports usually include docks for ships to stay, docks to allow mooring, warehouses to store goods, and signaling systems to facilitate entry and return to the port.
Areas of a seaport
Specifically, it is considered that every port of this type has three clearly delimited areas, based on the functions performed therein:
- The maritime zone , also called access zone. This is where the different vessels, following the established indications, proceed to arrive at the port itself. In this space it must be emphasized that the depth of the waters is minimal and that channels are usually established to avoid difficulties in movements and displacements to docking positions.
- The land area , where different types of maneuvers are carried out. In this case, the function of the space is to serve as a dock, since the different boats are docked there.
- The link area with the terrestrial means in question. This is where tasks such as loading and unloading goods are carried out. However, there are also the offices of the different port authorities and the relevant warehouses and warehouses.
To all this we must add that there are two types of seaports: cabotage ports, which refer to movements between national ports, and deep sea ports, which allow international transactions.
The city of Mar del Plata has one of the most important seaports in Argentina.
Its economic importance
It is important to be aware that the seaports of any country are a fundamental base of its economic activity. Thus, studies carried out by the WTO (World Trade Organization) determine that up to 80% of the goods traded throughout the planet are transported through this route.
It should be noted that seaports can have different orientations according to the ships they receive. Some ports work with fishing vessels, others are oriented towards trade and some specialize in tourist activity.
Examples of seaports
An example of a seaport is the Port of Barcelona ( Spain ), which is located next to the Mediterranean Sea . It has more than twenty kilometers of berths and docks and a land area of more than eight hundred hectares.
The Port of Mar del Plata ( Argentina ), next to the Argentine Sea , is protected by two breakwaters and allows the disembarkation of international cruise ships, in addition to the operation of fishing and other vessels.