Marine Spatial Planning Process Research Articles

The bumpy road to conservation: challenges and opportunities in updating the Galapagos zoning system

In 2014, the Galapagos National Park Directorate, sponsored by various international non-governmental organizations, initiated a comprehensive marine and terrestrial spatial planning process to improve the management effectiveness of Galapagos’ protected areas. This effort aimed to reconfigure management areas by expanding or redistributing no-take zones to protect Key Biodiversity Areas and ensure the conservation of at least 30% of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the Galapagos. However, this process encountered significant challenges, notably the erosion of fishers' trust following the implementation of a "Marine Sanctuary". This top-down decision resulted in socio-political tension, compelling the Ecuadorian government to delay the implementation of the new marine zoning until there was conclusive scientific data on its socio-economic impact on local small-scale fishers’ livelihoods. This paper examines the achievements and shortcomings of the Galapagos zoning update process, highlighting the successful integration of scientific zoning criteria and the enhanced protection of critical biodiversity areas, together with the reduced support from fishers and legal disputes. To move forward, we recommended a bottom-up approach centered on rebuilding trust among the fishing community via innovative engagement strategies and the introduction of market incentives to promote sustainable practices. Assessing the long-term impact of no-take zones is essential for refining management approaches. Additionally, the application of cutting-edge technology within an adaptive co-management model is recommended to improve fisheries and ecological data gathering and analysis, facilitating proactive and well-informed management decisions. Our suggestions aim to reconcile conservation objectives with the needs and aspirations of the local communities in this iconic archipelago.

Co-location of fisheries and offshore wind farms: Current practices and enabling conditions in the North Sea

Current expansion in offshore wind farm (OWF) development is resulting in increased spatial conflicts with other uses. In the North Sea, marine spatial planning (MSP) processes include co-existence strategies, with co-location between fisheries and offshore wind farms often discussed. However, current legal regulations and the lack of adequate scientific evidence to document economic viability of proposed passive gears, coupled with uncertainties regarding the implementation approach, continue to limit progress in developing co-location solutions. We synthesized current regulations and practices relevant to offshore wind farms and fisheries and conducted spatial-temporal overlap analysis of pot and trap fisheries targeting crustaceans in offshore wind farms to understand their potential for co-location. Our results showed the largest potential for co-location of pot and trap fisheries targeting crustaceans is located in OWFs that already exist or will be constructed until 2030. We also identified 1) gaps in fisheries and (OWF) regulations and 2) sector challenges that hindered the successful implementation of fisheries and offshore wind farm co-location. We discuss and recommend enabling conditions, including more science-based evidence on socio-economic and ecological viability of passive fisheries in offshore areas. Experiments on pot and trap gear safety and spillover evidence of artificial reef effects (AREs) are needed to inform the implementation of new safety distances and economically beneficial passive fisheries. Finally, we highlight needs for new insurance regimes and straightforward funding provision to support transitions to co-location and absorb the shocks from mobile fisheries displacement.

Land-Sea-Interactions in MSP and ICZM: A regional perspective from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea

Land-sea interactions are relevant for marine spatial planning. Natural processes at the land-sea interface shape the terrestrial and the marine environment, influencing coastal and maritime activities in the area. Coastal and sea uses also hold numerous land-sea interactions, calling for infrastructures and services both on the land and the sea side. The concept of land-sea interactions has been elaborated and applied already in several studies. Notwithstanding this, application of land-sea interaction analysis within Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Integrated Coastal (Zone) Management (ICM/ICZM) is far to be operationalized and still challenges the planning processes, with different countries approaching it differently, at different level of analysis. In this paper the Guidelines for LSI in MSP proposed by UNEP/MAP PAP/RAC to provide practical support to land-sea interaction analysis within MSP are applied in four case studies: Bulgaria, Italy, Malta and Montenegro, within formal and informal marine spatial planning processes. The Guidelines have proved to be flexible, scalable and suitable to tiered approaches. They were adapted to the specificities of different planning, geographic, governance contexts, responding to the state and the needs of MSP development in the different countries, including non-EU ones.

Exploring barriers to the implementation of geospatial technologies in marine spatial planning: Reports from practitioners

This paper aims to contribute to the current discourse regarding the incorporation of geospatial technology in marine spatial planning (MSP) by drawing lessons from some existing initiatives. MSP is a continuously growing policy field under extensive research, and geospatial technologies (e.g., remote sensing, GPS, and GIS) are well-suited for acquiring and analyzing location-based data for marine planning needs. However, the role, extent, and nature of geospatial technology in the MSP process remain relatively underexplored. Here, we draw insights from interviews with seventeen global marine practitioners involved in developing or implementing eleven marine spatial plans worldwide to understand how extensively geospatial technology-derived data is utilized in existing practices. We briefly discuss the potential benefits of enhancing this type of data in MSP and then highlight some issues that need to be considered when shaping geospatial technology's input into the process. Based on the interviews, these considerations suggest that we need to develop a more critical and deeper understanding of how various interests frame the underutilization of geospatial technologies in some regions of the world. Additionally, we explore how the interviewed practitioners view their role in shaping the practices of geospatial technology use in the planning process. These findings highlight the importance of several key issues raised in the interviews as barriers to enhancing the use of geospatial technology. We conclude with suggestions for what priorities that could support the future enhancement of geospatial technology in MSP.

Framing future trajectories of human activities in the German North Sea to inform cumulative effects assessments and marine spatial planning

The global industrialization of seascapes and climate change leads to an increased risk of severe impacts on marine ecosystem functioning. While broad scale spatio-temporal assessments of human pressures on marine ecosystems become more available, future trajectories of human activities at regional and local scales remain often speculative. Here we introduce a stepwise process to integrate bottom-up and expert-driven approaches for scenario development to inform cumulative effects assessments and related marine spatial planning (MSP). Following this guidance, we developed optimistic, realistic, and pessimistic scenarios for major human pressures in the German North Sea such as bottom trawling, offshore wind, nutrient discharge, and aggregate extraction. The forecasts comprise quantitative estimates in relation to spatial footprint, intensity, and technological advancements of those pressures for the years 2030 and 2060. Using network analyses, we assessed interactions of the current and future trajectories of pressures thereby accounting for climate change and the growing need for marine conservation. Our results show that future scenarios of spatial distributions could be developed for activities that are spatially refined and included in the current MSP process. Further our detailed analyses of interdependencies of development components revealed that forecasts regarding specific targets and intensities of human activities depend also strongly on future technological advances. For fisheries and nutrient discharge estimates were less certain due to critical socio-ecological interactions in the marine and terrestrial realm. Overall, our approach unraveled such trade-offs and sources of uncertainties. Yet, our quantitative predictive scenarios were built under a sustainability narrative on a profound knowledge of interactions with other sectors and components in and outside the management boundaries. We advocate that they enable a better preparedness for future changes of cumulative pressure on marine ecosystems.

Comparing Public Participation in Coastal and Marine Planning in the Arctic: Lessons from Iceland and Norway

Amid a changing global climate, Northern coastal communities face a variety of challenges to their livelihoods, which are dependent on marine resources. Marine spatial planning (MSP) provides opportunities for cooperation between authorities, stakeholders, and the public to ensure sustainable marine management. Public participation is a crucial element of coastal and marine planning for its long-term democratic legitimacy and sustainability. However, the process of MSP is often wrought with conflict and challenges of involving stakeholders and the public in decisions concerning an often-contested marine space. Whereas coastal zone planning (CZP) is well established in Norway and a reiteration of previous CZP was conducted 2020–23, MSP is new to Iceland, and has only recently been launched with its first pilot plans in 2019. This study investigates how participation in coastal and marine planning processes compare between Iceland and Norway and what lessons can be shared between them. Data were collected from two case studies in the Tromsø region in Norway and the Westfjords of Iceland through analysis of planning documentation, literature review, as well as participant observation in the Westfjords and 11 semi-structured interviews across both case studies. The results show that public participation is formally integral to both processes but, in practice, varies considerably. Both planning processes are driven by the expansion of the aquaculture industry, and a variety of issues faced during the planning process are similar. In Norway, public participation is politically desired and guided by a participation strategy emphasising synergies between expert and local knowledge. In the Tromsø region, meaningful public participation varied across municipalities and issues regarding Indigenous participation remain. In Iceland, there is little evident political expectation of public engagement, and the process is characterised by a passive approach to participation that aims to inform the public but does not include wider sharing of decision-making power. The findings do not only make clear that a revision of current public participation processes is needed in both case studies but also point towards wider issues in marine governance that have consequences for blue justice, such as the exclusion of groups in decision-making, lack of public discussion of marine issues and top–down governance supporting established power hierarchies.

Exploring social justice in marine spatial planning: planner and stakeholder perspectives and experiences in the Baltic Sea Region

This article contributes to the increasing traction of social justice in marine spatial planning (MSP) by exploring perceptions and experiences of social justice from the viewpoint of planners and different social groups who were included and (self)excluded in MSP processes. The study builds on empirical material from Poland, Latvia, and Germany consisting of interviews, MSP legislation, and documents that were analysed through the lens of a multidimensional social justice framework centring on recognition, representation, distribution, and capabilities. Results indicate that MSP institutional arrangements constrain possibilities for marginalised and less consolidated actor groups (residents, coastal tourism, and small-scale fisheries) to enjoy the same degree of recognition that is given to groups representing strategic national interests (renewable energy and shipping). We also highlight the role of planners’ self-reflectivity in enhancing/depriving capabilities of vulnerable social groups whose wellbeing and multidimensional relationships with the sea call for institutional responses adaptive to specific planning contexts.

The Marine Spatial Planning Index: a tool to guide and assess marine spatial planning

Marine spatial planning (MSP) has the potential to balance demands for ocean space with environmental protection and is increasingly considered crucial for achieving global ocean goals. In theory, MSP should adhere to six principles, being: (1) ecosystem-based, (2) integrated, (3) place-based, (4) adaptive, (5) strategic, and (6) participatory. Despite nearly two decades of practice, MSP continues to face critical challenges to fully realize these principles, hindering its ability to deliver positive outcomes for people and nature. Here, we present the MSP Index, a tool for assessing progress in MSP processes based on MSP principles that can guide practitioners in operationalizing these principles. Using qualitative analysis of fundamental MSP guides, complemented with a literature review, we identified key features of MSP principles and developed these features into a scoring guide that assesses progress relative to each principle. We trialed and validated the MSP Index on six case studies from distinct regions. We found that the MSP Index allows for high-level comparison across diverse marine spatial plans, highlighting the extent to which MSP principles have permeated practice. Our results reveal successes, especially for the place-based principle, and failures to fully adhere to the adaptive and participatory principles of MSP. The Index serves as a guidance tool that would be best employed by practitioners and can inform science on the evolution of MSP. It is a user-friendly tool that translates MSP principles into practice, allowing for assessment of individual initiatives and comparison of diverse initiatives across ocean regions and nations.

Empowering Communities to Participate in Marine Energy Planning and Development

To meet community priorities and equitable outcomes, marine renewable energy (MRE) projects, such as those for marine energy and offshore wind, require informed and collaborative marine spatial planning (MSP) to overcome significant cultural, societal, and economic barriers that may limit responsible and accelerated deployment. Effective MSP brings together coastal communities and ocean users to coordinate decision-making for sustainable use of marine resources. The goal of this project is to develop digital tools to enable easy access to information, interactive visualization tools, and feedback mechanisms to empower communities to engage in meaningful communications with other stakeholders in the MSP process.
 In collaboration with community organization partners, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum and Redwood Community Action Agency, we held community-based workshops to solicit needs for communities to gain knowledge and communicate concerns about MRE development. The key results from initial outreach activities are:
 
 The MRE planning process must incorporate stakeholder feedback starting in its early stages (as early as siting). Community benefits must be clearly articulated and quantified.
 Communities generally distrust offshore energy developers. Communication with regulators and developers together would be useful.
 Community members are eager to learn about MRE. Their biggest knowledge gaps are MRE device and array characteristics (size, extent, location) and effects of MRE development on the viewshed, recreational activities, and on wildlife.
 There is too much information available over disparate sources. Community members do not know where or how to search for answers to questions about MRE development in their communities (or elsewhere).
 Community members want to hit the ‘Easy Button’. Data need to be digestible and tools need to be easy to use with little technical knowledge or experience necessary.
 
 Outreach activities guided the development of the following digital tools:
 
 Interactive infographics to communicate topics of concern (e.g., viewshed impacts and potential interactions with whales) in a visually engaging and interative platform.
 News feed relevant to MRE to quickly digest headlines and read articles in greater detail, sort articles by topic, and react to articles or other comments.
 Artificial intelligence (AI) driven chat bot, which uses the latest in AI, namely GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3), to produce real-time answers to user questions. Answers are logged, and can be reviewed and revised by marine energy experts to provide human vetting of the results.
 Commenting system to provide feedback on information throughout the site, as well as the tools themselves.
 
 These tools will empower communities with information and feedback mechanisms to promote meaningful stakeholder engagement and communications, and therefore, informed decision-making. These tools represent a major leap forward in ocean multi-use management with MRE.

Estimating fishing effort from highly resolved geospatial data: Focusing on passive gears

Increasing competition for marine space requires the appropriate development of indicators to best represent the use of marine areas and the value (whether economic, social and/or cultural) derived from such use. Fishers (the largest group of users) are often under-represented in marine spatial planning processes. Highly-resolved vessel tracking data provide opportunities to map the activities of fishing vessels at a level of detail never before available. Most effort mapping methods have focused on active gears such as trawls or dredges in large scale fisheries. For these fisheries, the time spent fishing at sea (hours) is usually a representative indicator of fishing effort, enabling a straightforward mapping of the most important fishing grounds. However, for passive gears generally used in small-scale fisheries, we show that spatial indicators of effort (here, length of vessel track) greatly outperform time-at-sea as an indicator of fishing effort. We further demonstrate and validate a method to estimate gear soak time from vessel tracking data and show how maps of effort that account for soak time can be different from those solely based on time spent fishing at sea. The development of adequate methods to quantify the spatial distribution of passive gear effort is particularly relevant to fisheries management because globally about a fifth of all catches (by weight) are landed by passive gears. Appropriate, fine scale effort maps will provide better tools for spatial planning to support sustainable fishing.

Under the Surface: Climatic and Societal Challenges in Marine Spatial Planning in the Westfjords of Iceland

As the global climate is changing dramatically, the Westfjords of Iceland are facing a multitude of challenges, including changing weather patterns, sea level rise, and invasive species. In order to cope with the recent climatic changes—many of which present great uncertainties to livelihoods—strategies must be developed to plan and adapt for the future. Iceland has recently launched marine spatial planning (MSP) endeavours, and one of the first planning processes has been conducted in the Westfjords. MSP presents opportunities for authorities, stakeholders, and the public to come together to forge a sustainable path ahead for marine areas that are under increasing pressure from human activities. However, MSP comes with its own considerable challenges as it attempts to engage stakeholders and the general public in decisions about an ‘invisible’ space largely beneath the surface of the sea. In this paper, the uncertainties of the environmental changes will be explored in conjunction with the multitude of societal challenges to coastal and marine planning in the Westfjords to establish Iceland’s unique context for MSP and to make recommendations for its development. Data from the planning documents as well as from semi-structured interviews and a workshop conducted in the Westfjords will be analysed and discussed. The results show both an urgent environmental need to take action to adapt to ongoing climate change effects and a complex societal structure that favours those who already have power and influence over others. Our recommendations include reforming the Icelandic MSP process with a view to strengthening the public participatory channels as well as the transparency, trust, and accessibility of the process.

Can the ocean economy in Brazil become blue?

PurposeThis study aimed to identify the potential for economic activities related to the ocean economy in Brazil to become blue economy (BE) activities, in which the concept of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is central.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the aim, the authors collected information on the SDGs and estimated data from the ocean economy sectors for the 256 Brazilian coastal cities. The authors predicted the indices for potential development of territories and sectors in the BE using two parameters: employed persons (EP) and sectoral added value (AV).FindingsThe results show that the capitals of coastal states present the highest potential indices for the BE, especially Rio de Janeiro, which accounted for 83.3% of sectoral added value in the Brazilian ocean economy with potential for sustainable development and generated 107,800 active formal jobs (26.9% of the country's total). In addition, restaurants, hotels and similar establishments are, on the Brazilian coast, the most frequent on the coastal zone and have the highest potential for BE activities.Originality/valueRegarding its contributions, this research innovates by developing an indicator that can help stakeholders understand the similarities and differences between cities and regions, whether through a social, economic, or environmental lens. Therefore, by following this methodological path for measuring the BE, viewing the distinct patterns of sustainable development by area is possible, thereby supporting action plans for the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda and the implementation of a marine spatial planning process for the country in the context of the Ocean Decade (2021–2030).Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2023-0112

Marine spatial planning and offshore wind: preliminary principles for Australia

Australia is endowed with some of the richest and most diverse renewable energy resources. Its offshore wind resources alone equate to an estimated 5,000 Gigawatts (GW) of electricity potential. Given these substantial estimates, offshore wind energy will likely represent a key pillar of Australia’s future renewable energy mix. Australia’s palpable offshore energy potential is increasingly understood and acknowledged. Yet, the critical legal and policy question remains of how its new regulatory framework to enable offshore wind development, the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 Act (Cth) (OEI Act), will interact with existing marine sectors and the marine environment. Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) may provide the missing process puzzle piece to enable more strategic coordination of the Australian offshore wind sector within the marine environment. This article adopts a socio-legal approach, examining and drawing upon international experiences to explore the potential adoption of MSP in the Australian offshore wind context. In so doing, the article argues for a coordinated approach to develop a federal MSP process to support and promote strategic offshore wind operations with existing sea users while preserving the Australian marine environment.

A seafloor bioregionalisation for New Zealand

Marine habitats and ecosystems are under increasing pressure from human activities. Well-designed Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks can be highly effective tools for conserving biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions and services. Adequate coverage of biogeographic regions – i.e., large regions that represent broad-scale biodiversity patterns that are relatively homogeneous (stable over space and time) with distinct environmental conditions and biological contents – in a MPA network is seen as key to ensure that protected areas are representative. Building on a recent spatial classification of ‘seafloor communities’ in the New Zealand marine environment (a 75-group classification termed the New Zealand Seafloor Community Classification), a range of broader classifications (i.e., 4–20 groups) were assessed for their suitability to represent seafloor bioregions. Following analysis of within- and between-group classification strength using analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), and visually exploring the geographic patterns at different classification levels, the 9-group classification was defined as the New Zealand Seafloor Bioregionalisation. Bioregions were defined and described in terms of their characterising marine environmental conditions. Here we provide justification for the use of a 9-group classification to provide broad-scale geographical units which complements the higher resolution communities identified in the New Zealand Seafloor Community Classification. We discuss the use of the New Zealand Seafloor Bioregionalisation for incorporating bioregional representativeness in future marine spatial planning processes and the management of human activities. The New Zealand Seafloor Bioregionalisation provides more relevant information for spatial planning within New Zealand waters than global or ocean-basin scale bioregionalisations, primarily due to the large amount of nationally relevant data used and applied at a fine spatial resolution.

A risk-based approach to cumulative effects assessment for large marine ecosystems to support transboundary marine spatial planning: A case study of the yellow sea

Cumulative effects assessment (CEA) should be conducted at ecologically meaningful scales such as large marine ecosystems to halt further ocean degradation caused by anthropogenic pressures and facilitate ecosystem-based management such as transboundary marine spatial planning (MSP). However, few studies exist at large marine ecosystems scale, especially in the West Pacific seas, where countries have different MSP processes yet transboundary cooperation is paramount. Thus, a step-wise CEA would be informative to help bordering countries set a common goal. Building on the risk-based CEA framework, we decomposed CEA into risk identification and spatially-explicit risk analysis and applied it to the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME), aiming to understand the most influential cause-effect pathways and risk distribution pattern. The results showed that (1) seven human activities including port, mariculture, fishing, industry and urban development, shipping, energy, and coastal defence, and three pressures including physical loss of seabed, input of hazardous substances, nitrogen, and phosphorus enrichment were the leading causes of environmental problems in the YSLME; (2) benthic organisms, fishes, algae, tidal flats, seabirds, and marine mammals were the most vulnerable ecosystem components on which cumulative effects acted; (3) areas with relatively high risk mainly concentrated on nearshore zones, especially Shandong, Liaoning, and northern Jiangsu, while coastal bays of South Korea also witnessed high risk; (4) certain risks could be observed in the transboundary area, of which the causes were the pervasive fishing, shipping, and sinking of pollutants in this area due to the cyclonic circulation and fine-grained sediments. In future transboundary cooperation on MSP, risk criteria and evaluation of existing management measures should be incorporated to determine whether the identified risk has exceeded the acceptable level and identify the next step of cooperation. Our study presents an example of CEA at large marine ecosystems scale and provides a reference to other large marine ecosystems in the West Pacific and elsewhere.

Exploring ecosystem-based approaches in MSP through actor-driven perceptual mapping

This paper introduces an interactive method which aims to map out perspectives on the state of ecosystem-based approaches (EbA) in marine spatial planning (MSP). MSP meets a need for organising the allocation of space to maritime uses. MSP should also control and limit the pressures induced by these activities on marine ecosystems. To evaluate how EbA is actually applied, this research proposes a participatory method to assess the effectiveness of current EbA practices within MSP process using perceptual maps. The mapping focuses on two dimensions: relevance and implementation of a set of 13 key elements of EbA. The method was tested on a sample of marine planners from ongoing MSP processes in northern European sea basins. The study shows that perceptual maps provide four main benefits: participatory, visualization capacity, qualitative and quantitative applicability, and easy to use. This tool has undoubtedly the potential to illustrate the state of integration of EbA in MSP and highlight the priority issues to develop in future plans, and consequently to provide keys to revise marine plans in a way that better takes into account EbA principles.

Marine zoning for the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) in British Columbia, Canada

A zoning framework was developed for the Marine Plan Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP) in order to provide guidance for decisions regarding coastal and marine economic development, marine resource management, and marine protection or conservation across the MaPP region, the Northern Shelf Bioregion, British Columbia, Canada. The MaPP Zoning Framework was developed over an 18-month period at the beginning of the marine spatial planning (MSP) process with stakeholder consultation and incorporated lessons learned from other planning efforts in British Columbia and globally. The three main requirements for the Framework included that it was applicable and flexible for use across the MaPP regional boundary, which included four sub-regions that had diverse priorities and marine activities, that guiding principles for zoning would provide consistency for policy and other decisions within the MaPP regions, and that zone categories synergized with existing policy and legislation. A stakeholder advisory process was used to develop the Framework which resulted in three zone categories to achieve the goals of MaPP: Protection Management Zone (PMZ), Special Management Zone (SMZ), and General Management Zone (GMZ). Zone identification included numerous factors such as species and habitat diversity, cultural values, existing uses and activities, and priorities for sustainable economic development and conservation. The Framework was effectively used to zone 102,000 km2 of the MaPP region during the MSP process for more than 15 different sectors that were within the scope of the MaPP partners’ jurisdiction. Importantly, the Framework was successfully adapted across the four distinct MaPP sub-regions and consistently applied for an effective regional approach to decision making and management for both First Nations and provincial governments.

Spatial and temporal structure of the fish assemblage in Akanda National Park (Gabon), an equatorial mangrove estuary

Marine spatial planning and management processes are important tools for environmental and resource management, providing effective frameworks for considering environmental, social, cultural, institutional and economic variables within a common biogeographic context. The Akanda National Park (ANP) in Gabon, almost exclusively constituted by mangroves, is part of a green belt of protected areas around the capital city of Libreville. The creation of the ANP is considered as an essential tool for the ecosystemic management of fisheries in Mondah Bay, playing nursery function for several exploited fish species. However, this role has never been documented in the mangroves of Gabon. The aim of this study is to describe the spatial and seasonal variability of fish assemblages, to assess ANP mangrove role as a nursery for fish juveniles. Fish sampling was carried out at four different sites in the four hydroclimatic seasons in Gabon using trammel gillnets with different mesh size (10, 27 and 40 mm). Fifty-nine fish species mainly estuarine and marine, first and second level predators were collected whatever the season and the site. The numerically dominant species were Pseudotolithus elongatus, Pellonula leonensis and Parachelon grandisquamis (48% of the total number of individuals), whereas P. elongatus, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus and Plectorhinchus macrolepis represented the main biomasses (55%). The predominance in the catches of immature individuals of many species of commercial interest and in particular, P. elongatus, P. grandisquamis, C. nigrodigitatus, Eucinostomus melanopterus, Neochelon falcipinnis and Polydactylus quadrifilis, which dominate the community, highlights the importance of Akanda mangrove as a nursery for the juveniles of these species. The results of our study are a first step in understanding the fish communities of a Gabon marine protected area, which can support the decision making management plans, zonation and initiate a monitoring program for the estuarine and marine protected ecosystems.

Engaging stakeholders in marine spatial planning for collaborative scoring of conflicts and synergies within a spatial tool environment

Collaborative spatial decision support tools can contribute with setups for including stakeholders into marine spatial planning (MSP) processes with the purpose of increasing trust in planning outcomes, facilitate knowledge co-creation and shared planning goals, and provide transparent, scientific, inclusive, and technical foundations for planning. A new collaborative spatial decision support setup based on the combination of functionalities from two spatial decision support tools called SEANERGY and Baltic Explorer was designed for and tested in a workshop in 2020 targeted local authorities, NGOs, and citizens in Denmark with an interest in MSP. While the setup needs further testing among a wider span of stakeholders to support a pluralistic approach, the findings illustrate promising potentials from ranking conflicts and synergies in collaborative settings to make marine activity interests spatially visible in MSP and gain an overview of opportunities for sea use multi-functionality in context-based, interactive, goal-oriented stakeholder processes. The use of a visual platform such as Baltic Explorer to systematically explore locations of marine uses was positively evaluated to facilitate the workshop conflict-synergy discussions. Challenges relate to how to deal with disagreements on conflict-synergy scores and the subjectivity of opinions, but the demonstrated flexible, quick, transparent way to test the sensitivity of spatial patterns to differences in input conflict-synergy scores is found to provide a promising setup for including stakeholder opinions through collaborative settings, a setup adjustable to supplementary large-scale, individual, more representative surveys as well.

Integrating multiple perspectives in marine spatial planning using the GIS-based Logic Scoring of Preference method

Marine spatial planning processes require integrating diverse opinions, knowledge, and goals of multiple stakeholders as well as large volumes of environmental data. Multicriteria evaluation (MCE) methods have been used to combine spatial data in a way that represents stakeholder preferences; however, conventional methods are limited in their ability to represent and integrate multiple stakeholder perspectives. The main goal of this research study is to implement a generalized multicriteria evaluation method, Logic Scoring of Preference (LSP), integrated with geographic information systems (GIS) to represent different perspectives on the suitability for conservation areas for endangered killer whales (Orcinus orca). Both two and three dimensional (3D) criteria have been used for killer whale acoustic refugia suitability analysis in the study region of the Salish Sea between British Columbia, Canada and Washington, USA. Resulting suitability values were then combined in an overall integrated suitability analysis (OISA) to represent different decision-making outcomes such as consensus and trade-offs, logically defined by LSP aggregators, between stakeholders’ perspectives. The results demonstrate the ability of the Logic Scoring of Preference method to derive overall integrated suitability maps using a variety of logical aggregators. This method can be applied to facilitate marine spatial planning by enabling stakeholders and decision makers to explore, analyse and visualize possible decision scenarios and their trade-offs.