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Entangled Sensemaking at Sea: Navigating Complexity in Maritime Environments

Jean Blair

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Published in Entangled Sensemaking At Sea: Bycatch Management That Makes Good Social And Ecological Sense

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The maritime environment is a complex and dynamic one, characterized by a multitude of factors that can influence decision-making and navigation. These factors include the physical environment (e.g., weather, sea state, visibility),the human environment (e.g., crew members, passengers, other vessels),and the technological environment (e.g., navigation systems, communication systems).

In order to make sense of this complexity and navigate safely and effectively, seafarers must engage in a process of "entangled sensemaking." This process involves gathering information from multiple sources, interpreting it, and making decisions based on that interpretation. It is an ongoing and iterative process that is constantly being updated as new information becomes available.

Entangled Sensemaking at Sea: Bycatch Management That Makes Good Social and Ecological Sense

by Anton Chekhov

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
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Entangled sensemaking is a complex cognitive process that involves a number of different cognitive skills, including:

Situation awareness: The ability to understand and interpret the current situation, including the physical, human, and technological factors that are present.
Reasoning: The ability to use logical thinking to draw inferences and make decisions based on the available information.
Communication: The ability to communicate effectively with other crew members and stakeholders.

li>Collaboration: The ability to work together with others to achieve a common goal.

Entangled sensemaking is essential for safe and effective navigation in maritime environments. By understanding the complexity of the maritime environment and the cognitive skills required for sensemaking, seafarers can improve their decision-making and navigation skills and reduce the risk of accidents.

Distributed Cognition in Maritime Environments

One of the key features of entangled sensemaking in maritime environments is the distributed nature of cognition. This means that cognition is not confined to the individual seafarer, but is distributed across the entire team of seafarers on board a vessel. Each seafarer has their own unique perspective on the situation and contributes to the overall sensemaking process.

Distributed cognition is essential for effective navigation in maritime environments. It allows seafarers to pool their knowledge and expertise and to make decisions that are based on a more complete understanding of the situation. It also allows seafarers to adapt to changing conditions and to respond to unexpected events.

Human Factors and Entangled Sensemaking

Human factors play a significant role in entangled sensemaking in maritime environments. These factors include:

Workload: The amount of work that seafarers are required to do can affect their ability to make sense of the situation and to make decisions.
Stress: Stress can also affect seafarers' cognitive abilities and decision-making.
Fatigue: Fatigue can impair seafarers' judgment and decision-making.
Experience: Experienced seafarers are more likely to have a better understanding of the maritime environment and to be able to make sense of it more effectively.

It is important for seafarers to be aware of the human factors that can affect their ability to make sense of the situation and to make decisions. By understanding these factors, seafarers can take steps to reduce their risk of making errors and to improve their safety.

Technology and Entangled Sensemaking

Technology can play a significant role in supporting entangled sensemaking in maritime environments. Navigation systems, communication systems, and other technologies can provide seafarers with information that can help them to understand the situation and to make decisions.

However, it is important to note that technology is not a substitute for human cognition. Seafarers must still be able to interpret the information provided by technology and to make decisions based on that interpretation.

Entangled sensemaking is a complex and essential cognitive process for seafarers. It involves gathering information from multiple sources, interpreting it, and making decisions based on that interpretation. It is a distributed process that involves the entire team of seafarers on board a vessel. Human factors and technology can both play a significant role in entangled sensemaking. By understanding the complexity of entangled sensemaking and the factors that can affect it, seafarers can improve their decision-making and navigation skills and reduce the risk of accidents.

Entangled Sensemaking at Sea: Bycatch Management That Makes Good Social and Ecological Sense

by Anton Chekhov

4.2 out of 5