Transdisciplinary science for effective ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning (MarinePlan)

Background and Objective

The diversity of life on land and in the sea is increasingly affected by human activities, including climate change. There is growing evidence that biodiversity underpins ecosystem functions and services, and thus benefits to people. The importance of ecosystem biodiversity cannot therefore be underestimated and requires effective management of marine activities and sustainable use of marine and coastal resources.

Marine spatial planning is the main governance process that ideally balances economic, environmental and socio-cultural objectives by regulating human use of the sea. In the context of global and regional conservation and green energy goals, there is an urgent need to find ways to better align maritime spatial planning and strategic conservation planning to implement an ecosystem-based approach to maritime spatial planning.

The EU-funded MarinePlan project supports this by developing a toolbox of concepts, models, recommendations and data. The 'decision support system' aims to provide practical guidance to better align maritime spatial planning with spatial conservation and restoration measures.

Main objective

To improve the effectiveness of marine conservation measures for marine biodiversity in European seas, MarinePlan will work with stakeholders to develop a decision support system (DSS) and best practice guidelines for ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (EB-MRO) and apply them in eight European case studies.

This main objective will be achieved through four specific deliverables for the European seas:

#1 Develop the conceptual elements of the decision support system (such as guidelines and tools) and develop best practice guidelines for the implementation of EB-MRO in collaboration with stakeholders.

#2 Develop quantitative metrics (EBSA criteria) to identify ecologically or biologically significant marine areas.

#3 Implementation and application of the DSS based on objectives #1 and #2 in eight case studies representing the diversity of European marine areas.

#4 Recommendations and improvements to existing management processes to enhance the implementation of EB MSP.

Target Group

• General public
• Scientific community (research and education)
• Key end-users: Policy makers, marine spatial planning experts, industry representatives (e.g. fisheries, shipping, tourism)

Approach

To achieve the main objective of the MarinePlan project, this decision support system for ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning will be developed and applied in seven work packages and eight European case studies. The planning areas range from coastal ecosystems to the open ocean and deep sea, and from local to transboundary scales. The application and validation of this decision support system (DSS) will include realistic planning scenarios, key actions for the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and policy recommendations to improve the implementation of ecosystem-based marine spatial planning in European seas. MarinePlan will communicate the results both horizontally (i.e. between sectors) and vertically (from local to European level) to different stakeholders and allow knowledge transfer to areas with different socio-environmental conditions. Improved knowledge based on natural and social sciences can ensure effective governance to support improved coherence in the implementation of environmental policies and enable more efficient planning for the maritime economy.

Data and Methods

The decision support system will include operational criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSA). This will allow the allocation of conservation and restoration areas at different scales in complex marine areas with multiple uses, taking into account the impacts of climate change.

Our Research Questions

• What tools and scientific bases should be included in a decision support system to enable the designation of coherent protected areas in the context of ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning?
• How can the implementation of ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning in European seas be supported?

Links and Downloads

www.marineplan.de

MarinePlan on Twitter: @MarinePlanEBMSP