Basis for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). An interpretation for the Gulf of Cadiz

Abstract

Numerous human activities take place in the marine area of ​​the Gulf of Cádiz, making it necessary to organize space through their spatial and temporal distribution. With the aim of combining the long-term conservation of marine biodiversity and the development of an economic activity that makes it possible to maintain over time the capacity of the marine environment to provide ecosystem services. Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is being an effective process regarding the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in the marine space to the achievement of ecological, economical and social objectives. MSP is usually schematized in 10 phases, in which among others it is found 5th phase: Defining and analyzing existing conditions. The aim of this document is the development of this phase in the Gulf of Cadiz, pretending to provide some of the needed basis to cope effectively with this process. Furthemore, in order to transfer the analyzes to the territory, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been used, showing how useful these are to address PEM processes. It is worth highlighting, among the results, the need to develop the MSP within a framework of cooperation and coordination between the Administrations that undertake the planning and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), that is, MSP and ICZM. In the Gulf of Cadiz, the main conflictive areas have been detected near to the coast and in semi-closed environments, such as bays and estuaries.