Reviewing Geo-Information Science for Port Information Management in China

The port is an important part of the transportation. This paper reviews the problems in the development of port information management. It then summarizes and presents the core technologies of geo-information science applied to the management of port information. The analysis shows that the use of geo-information science for port information management in China can be summarized into four levels, namely: space-based database management and multidimensional display, GPS-based data updating and tracking, 3S-based analysis and simulation of port operations, and planning/design/decision support based on the model of the industry. The research concludes that the application of GIS to the management of harbors and waterways is the inevitable choice and the direction of development for the water transport industry. Finally, the study points out that the trend of the application of 3S might be the port information service and comprehensive utilization of remote sensing data. The article provides guidance and recommendations for disciplinary development.