Abstract
The marine environment is a complex system, and with growing human demand, the sustainable use of multiple marine resources is continually challenged. The increasing complexity of overlapping marine activities causes pressures on the environment. Here, we review the fundamental aspects for effective marine management, particularly the role of science and scientific evidence to inform marine policy and decision making. The outcomes of internal expert workshops were used to analyse currently applied marine management practices in the UK using four marine sectors in English waters based on the expertise: environmental impact assessments; dredge and disposal operations; marine protected areas; and offshore renewable energy. Strengths, weaknesses, and commonalities between these sectors were assessed in terms of their effectiveness for marine management. Finally, we make recommendations based on the outputs to better inform effective yet sustainable marine management. The importance of increasing accessibility to data, hypothesis-driven environmental monitoring, streamlining funding opportunities and ensuring effective dissemination of data to ensure scientific outcomes and achieve increased robustness of assessments is emphasised. We also recommend that assessment drivers align with the outputs and approaches should be holistic and engage with the public to ensure a shared understanding and vision.
Highlights
Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are a core assessment process for enabling management of the impacts of proposals and activities before they are approved under licence
Marine protected areas cover a large proportion of the UK’s marine area and, whilst research is undertaken to answer specific questions or knowledge gaps, the analysis indicates that the availability of evidence and the quality of the data are variable
This paper has provided an overview of what is required for effective advice and assessment associated with marine management and how evidence is required at all stages
Summary
The marine environment provides a critical set of goods (resources) and services to support human well-being and prosperity, whether for fishing (food), transportation routes (trade), energy, tourism, or waste disposal [1,2]. Increasing human demands means the sustainable use of multiple marine resources is continually challenged by the complexity of overlapping marine activities in time and/or in space, causing growing pressures on the environment [3,4,5]. Complex spatial management considerations arise if the policy of sustainable development is to be achieved. Integral to effective management, including sustainable use, is a clear process supported by environmental, social, and economic evidence [6] through an ecosystem approach
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