Seascape Visual Characterization: Combining Viewing Geometry and Physical Features to Quantify the Perception of Seascape

The visual impacts of marine-based economic activities on seascape quality and its inherent value for different user groups are considered to be a highly contentious issue and difficult to quantify. In recent years, with the growth of the blue economy, the need to better understand the visual perceptions of seascapes has become essential when seeking societal support for new development. This article presents a unique method for assessing and quantifying seascape perception by characterizing a person viewing the geometry of seascape views both from the land and the sea. The method first utilizes a geographic information system (GIS) model to deconstruct the viewing geometry of a seascape view into five geometric elements, including (1) area of viewshed, (2) length of the visible coastline, (3) horizontal extent of the view, (4) vertical extent of the view, and (5) distance to the view. These geometric elements in the second step were reconstructed through an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) to determine the visual quality perception of participants. The results showed a significant improvement in the visual characterization of the seascape and its visual quality perception in comparison with conventional visual characterization methods. The findings indicate that the model promotes multiple perceptual perspectives by facilitating constructive discussions about social acceptance of the visual impact of a specific marine-based development.