Search

1. Connectivity of marine populations and ecosystems is crucial to maintaining and enhancing their structure, distribution, persistence, resilience and productivity. Artificial hard substrate, such as that associated with oil and gas platforms, provides settlement opportunities for species adapted to hard substrates in areas of soft sediment. The contribution of artificial hard substrate and the consequences of its removal (e.g. through decommissioning) to marine connectivity is not clear, yet such information is vital to inform marine spatial planning and future policy decisions on the use and protection of marine resources. 2. This study demonstrates the application of a social network analysis approach to quantify and describe the ecological connectivity, informed by particle tracking model outputs, of hard substrate marine communities in the North Sea. Through comparison of networks with and without artificial hard substrate, and based on hypothetical decommissioning scenarios, this study provides insight into the contribution of artificial hard substrate, and the consequence of decommissioning, to the structure and function of marine community connectivity. 3. This study highlights that artificial hard substrate, despite providing only a small proportion of the total area of hard substrate, increases the geographic extent and connectivity of the hard substrate network, bridging gaps, thereby providing ‘stepping stones’ between otherwise disconnected areas of natural hard substrate. Compared to the baseline scenario, a decommissioning scenario with full removal of oil and gas platforms results in a nearly 60% reduction in connectivity. Such reduction in connectivity may have negative implications for species’ distribution, gene flow and resilience following disturbance or exploitation of marine hard substrate communities. 4. Synthesis and applications. Social network analysis can provide valuable insight into connectivity between marine communities and enable the evaluation of impacts associated with changes to the marine environment. Providing standardized, transparent and robust outputs, such a tool is useful to facilitate understanding across different disciplines, including marine science, marine spatial planning and marine policy. Social network analysis therefore has great potential to address current knowledge gaps with respect to marine connectivity and crucially facilitate assessment of the impacts of changes in offshore substrate as part of the marine spatial planning process, thereby informing policy and marine management decisions.

Background Drawing upon multiple types of knowledge (e.g., Indigenous knowledge, local knowledge, science-based knowledge) strengthens the evidence-base for policy advice, decision making, and environmental management. While the benefits of incorporating multiple types of knowledge in environmental research and management are many, doing so has remained a challenge. This systematic map examined the extent, range, and nature of the published literature (i.e., commercially published and grey) that seeks to respectively bridge Indigenous and science-based knowledge in coastal and marine research and management in Canada. Methods This systematic map applied standardized search terms across four databases focused on commercially published literature, carefully selected specialist websites, and two web-based search engines. In addition, reference sections of relevant review articles were cross-checked to identify articles that may not have been found using the search strategy. Search results were screened in two sequential stages; (1) at title and abstract; and (2) at full text following a published protocol. All case studies included were coded using a standard questionnaire. A narrative synthesis approach was used to identify trends in the evidence, knowledge gaps, and knowledge clusters. Results A total of 62 articles that spanned 71 Canadian case studies were included in the systematic map. Studies across the coastal and marine regions of Inuit Nunangat accounted for the majority of the studies. Whether the focus is on management and decision making or research and monitoring, the predominant ecological scale was at the species level, accounting for over two-thirds of the included studies. There were 24 distinct coastal and marine species of central focus across the studies. Nunavut had the greatest taxonomic coverage as studies conducted to date cover 13 different genera. The predominant methodology employed for combining and/or including Indigenous knowledge was case study design, which accounted for over half of the studies. Other methodologies employed for combining and/or including different ways of knowing included: (i) community-based participatory research; (ii) mixed methods; (iii) ethnography; and (iv) simulation modelling. There are a suite of methods utilized for documenting and translating Indigenous knowledge and an equally diverse tool box of methods used in the collection of scientific data. Over half of the case studies involved Indigenous knowledge systems of the Inuit, while another significant proportion involved Indigenous knowledge systems of First Nations, reflecting 21 unique nations. We found that demographics of knowledge holders were generally not reported in the articles reviewed. Conclusions The results of this systematic map provide key insights to inform and improve future research. First, a variety of methodologies and methods are used in these types of studies. Therefore, there is a need to consider in more detail how Indigenous and science-based knowledge systems can be respectively bridged across subjects while also recognizing specific place-based needs of Indigenous communities. Second, the work highlights the need to better report the demographics of knowledge holders. Further inquiry focused on the extent of knowledge co-production and assessing Indigenous participation across different stages of the research process would serve the research community well to improve future research and monitoring in support of, and to strengthen, evidence-based environmental management.

Ocean is an important resource protection for mankind, and it plays a very important role in the development of modern society [1]. With the development of electronic information technology, marine monitoring technology has gradually expanded, including automatic buoys, remote sensors, underwater detection equipment, etc., which makes the marine data volume present an explosive growth trend. In the context of big data, it is very necessary to establish efficient marine management technology, which can quickly collect, analyze and manage marine data, so as to realize the construction of smart ocean. This paper studies the application of marine management technology in the context of big data, so as to provide a reference for smart ocean management in the new era.

4 pages, MINKE (Metrology for Integrated marine maNagement and Knowledge-transfer nEtwork) is an european project funded under Call H2020-INFRAIA-2018-2020 and Topic INFRAIA-02-2020 Research and Innovation action. MINKE project integrates key European marine metrology research infrastructures, to coordinate their use and development and propose an innovative framework of “quality of oceanographic data” for the different European actors in charge of monitoring and managing the marine ecosystems. MINKE proposes a new vision in the design of marine monitoring networks considering two dimensions of data quality, accuracy and completeness, as the driving components of the quality in data acquisition. The project through the different Integration Activities (Networking, Transnational Virtual Access and Joint Research), aims to lay the groundwork for creating the necessary synergies among the different involved actors, creating a new community with complementary capabilities for Ocean & Coastal Observation, that will facilitate the transition towards a blue growth socio-economic system.This paper presents the activities related to the Transnational and Virtual Access services offered through the project

Marine ecosystems are under high demand for human use, giving concerns about how pressures from human activities may affect their structure, function, and status. In Europe, recent developments in mapping of marine habitats and human activities now enable a coherent spatial evaluation of potential combined effects of human activities. Results indicate that combined effects from multiple human pressures are spread to 96% of the European marine area, and more specifically that combined effects from physical disturbance are spread to 86% of the coastal area and 46% of the shelf area. We compare our approach with corresponding assessments at other spatial scales and validate our results with European-scale status assessments for coastal waters. Uncertainties and development points are identified. Still, the results suggest that Europe’s seas are widely disturbed, indicating potential discrepancy between ambitions for Blue Growth and the objective of achieving good environmental status within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Formal and semi-formal networks are emerging as effective, collaborative, and adaptable approaches for addressing complex, rapidly evolving ocean governance issues. One such group of networks, which we refer to as marine-related learning networks, play multifaceted roles within ocean governance systems by facilitating knowledge creation, exchange, and dissemination, and by building the capacity of individuals and institutions to address problems and improve coastal and ocean governance. This study investigates the emergence, key attributes, and outcomes of marine-related networks using semi-structured interview data from 40 key informants representing 16 different networks that operate around the world at local, national, regional, and global scales. Our findings indicate that marine-related learning networks form in response to knowledge and action gaps and the specific needs of network members, and they function to inform policy and improve ocean management. Their success depends on attributes such as having a distinct purpose, building trust and relationships, emphasizing equitable participation, and supporting clear, sustained leadership. Marine-related learning networks are uniquely positioned to act as catalyzers and conduits to build capacity and develop solutions in response to governance needs through inclusive and collaborative responses to ongoing and emerging marine issues. As such, a broader understanding of their growing significance and the effective practices they employ is warranted.

Background Local management action to address coral-reef stressors can improve reef health and mitigate the effects of global climate change. Coastal development and runoff lead to sedimentation, which directly impacts coral recruitment, growth, mortality, and the ecosystem services that coral reefs provide. Decision making for reef resilience in the face of global and local stressors requires information on thresholds for management action. In response to needs identified by reef managers, we plan to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis that will explore the effects of both deposited and suspended sediment on corals to identify single and interacting stressor thresholds. We will identify levels of sediment exposure (i.e., concentration, duration, and frequency) that cause adverse physical, physiological, behavioral, developmental, and ecological responses in coral and describe geographic and taxonomic patterns in these responses. Our ultimate goal is to provide managers with sediment exposure thresholds that can be expected to cause these responses. Methods Our systematic review will synthesize available evidence on the effects of suspended and deposited sediment on corals. The research questions were formulated with an advisory team to support management decisions concerning local reef stressors in waters under U.S. federal jurisdiction. While the advisory team is most concerned with reefs adjacent to U.S. Pacific Islands, our review will include studies that examine reef-building coral species around the world. We will search online databases and grey literature to obtain a list of potential studies, assess their relevance, and critically appraise them for validity and risk of bias. Provided enough data can be extracted from relevant experimental studies, we will conduct meta-analyses that examine changes in coral health and survival in response to suspended and/or deposited sediment, with the goal to define sediment thresholds for reef managers. If enough data are available from within the U.S. Pacific Islands, we will construct region-, site-, and/or species-specific thresholds to improve local management.

International audience; The French initial assessment of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) highlighted the lack of reliable data concerning offshore areas. During the planning of the monitoring programmes, the scientists therefore proposed to partially cover this gap by using existing fisheries research vessel surveys deployed for the purposes of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This paper describes ways of improving the effectiveness of these surveys and making them better suited to delivering the information needed for the MSFD. The process took two years and became operational at the beginning of the year 2016. Testing phases from October 2013 to August 2015 had to be organized to fit within the ongoing fisheries tasks without significantly increasing the workload in terms of both time and human resources. Six fisheries research surveys henceforth collect new data, with or without additional sampling techniques. Specific examples are given with litter and hydrological data which will be used to assess the environmental status of French marine waters. The paper also identifies certain limitations regarding this approach. This French experiment enabled more efficient and effective use of current data collection efforts, while optimising vessel time and implementing an ecosystem approach in collecting data for fisheries management.

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a tool for managing and improving marine environments. The field is dominated by natural scientists and has not been commonly associated with planning. This research analyzes the MSP literature to explore how planners can contribute to MSP research and practice. We organize the literature into eight themes, focusing on how planners may be able to contribute to MSP research and practice: ocean zoning, defining boundaries, planning in dynamic environments, stakeholder involvement, information needs, integrating ocean and land-use management, managing multiple and conflicting uses, and transboundary institutional structures. We conclude that planners have a lot to contribute in these eight areas.

An objective and comprehensive understanding of the development intensity of China's coastal area is of great significance to China's planning and marine management. On the basis of specifying the impact factors and characteristic indexes of the development intensity of China's coastal area, this paper constructs a model for ocean development intensity evaluation, comprehensively evaluates the development intensity of China's coastal area and summarizes the distribution features and patterns of ocean development intensities of different areas by fully using the relative data of sea area use and management, providing reference for future ocean development and protection policies.

The ocean is increasingly facing direct and indirect threats from multiple human activities that alter marine ecosystems worldwide. Mitigating these threats requires a global shift in the way people perceive and interact with the marine environment. Marine public perceptions research has emerged as a useful tool to understand public awareness and attitudes towards the sea. This study compares available surveys of public perceptions of marine threats and protection involving >32,000 respondents across 21 countries. Results indicate that 70% of respondents believe the marine environment is under threat from human activities, and 45% believe the threat is high or very high. Yet when asked about the ocean's health, only 15% thought it was poor or threatened. Respondents consistently ranked pollution issues as the highest threat, followed by fishing, habitat alteration and climate change. With respect to ocean protection, 73% of respondents support marine protected areas in their region. Most respondents overestimated the area of ocean currently protected, and would like to see much larger areas protected in the future. Overall, a clear picture emerged of the perceived threats and support for protection which can inform marine managers, policy makers, conservation practitioners and educators to improve marine management and conservation programs.

This paper reviews the key developments of ocean management leading up to and over the past decade, especially marine or maritime spatial planning and ecosystem-based management, with an emphasis on the former. From scattered seeds in a few marine places—from early marine spatial analysis and data atlases to the EU Marine Spatial Directive in 2014—MSP has grown to a world-wide movement by governments at various levels to manage comprehensively marine resources in space and time. Early efforts to apply systems thinking to marine planning, especially in oWestern/Northern Europe, have developed an extensive knowledge base of what works and doesn't work based not only on academic theory, but now on practical experience. From a few pioneering examples of the implementation of MSP by 2005, today over 75 countries are experimenting with MSP as a practical approach toward ecosystem-based marine management. The paper begins with a summary of early attempts to map the geography of the sea and to define how planning at sea began to some of the first applications of MSP from 1980 to 2005. Real-world efforts to apply MSP, especially in Western/Northern Europe and North America are identified and described. A few key milestones of MSP—the first international workshop on MSP (2006), the early work of the EC in funding pilot MSP projects in Europe, the EU MSP Directive of 2014, and the second international workshop on MSP in 2017 are noted. Current MSP activities in world regions are summarised and characterised. Finally, a target for MSP outcomes by 2030 and future challenges for MSP are identified.

Benthic habitats and communities are key components of the marine ecosystem. Securing their functioning is a central aim in marine environmental management, where monitoring data provide the base for assessing the state of marine ecosystems. In the Baltic Sea, a > 50-year-long tradition of zoobenthic monitoring exists. However, the monitoring programmes were designed prior to the current policies, primarily to detect long-term trends at basin-scale and are thus not optimal to fulfil recent requirements such as area-based periodic status assessments. Here, we review the current monitoring programmes and assess the precision and representativity of the monitoring data in status assessments to identify routes for improvement. At present, the monitoring is focused on soft-bottoms, not accounting for all habitat types occurring in the Baltic Sea. Evaluating the sources of variance in the assessment data revealed that the component accounting for variability among stations forms the largest proportion of the uncertainty. Furthermore, it is shown that the precision of the status estimates can be improved, with the current number of samples. Reducing sampling effort per station, but sampling more stations, is the best option to improve precision in status assessments. Furthermore, by allocating the sampling stations more evenly in the sub-basins, a better representativity of the area can be achieved. However, emphasis on securing the long-term data series is needed if changes to the monitoring programmes are planned.

As mariculture progresses offshore in the US Exclusive Economic Zone, technical and ecological challenges need to be overcome, such as the choice of suitable sites that favor the production of target species. The offshore culture of blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, is performed with submerged longlines and mussels need to withstand more motion than on coastal sites. Temperature affects the ability of the byssus to adhere to farming rope, while chlorophyll concentration provides an estimation of food availability. Together, these are important factors in predicting the suitability of offshore mussel farms. To identify suitable depth of submersion for mussel ropes in New England federal waters, historical oceanographic data of temperature and chlorophyll a from 2005 to 2012 were used. The results suggest that mussel ropes were submerged during summer to a minimum depth of 15 m in northern and a 20-m depth in southern areas of New England where temperature is at a species-optimum and phytoplankton biomass is abundant. For the site offshore Massachusetts, in situ biodeposition measurements validated predicted depth, confirming satisfactory mussel performance. Promising local areas have shallow thermoclines, such as offshore Long Island, Cape Ann and New Hampshire. Recommended depths can be adjusted to future temperature increases associated with climate change.

Yi, M.G., 2020. Path exploration of grid management of marine communities based on numerical assimilation. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 327-332. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.At present, Marine management is one of the key research work in the construction of Marine environment in China. The “grid” management is the innovation of the contemporary urban management mode. In this paper, the existing problems of ocean management are analyzed and studied according to the “grid” management of ocean. The “grid” management of cities provides experience for the “grid” management of the ocean, and USES digital and information technology to divide the ocean, and expands the sharing of ocean information resources through the “grid” management of the ocean, so as to realize the pattern innovation of ocean management. With the continuous strengthening of Marine construction, China's Marine management is faced with new opportunities and challenges. Based on the urban “grid” management, this paper extends the “grid” management mode to Marine management, studies the problems in Marine management, and puts forward relevant measures to promote the implementation of “grid” management in Marine management.

Determining the overall effects of human activities on the estuaries, seas and coasts, as a precursor to marine management, requires quantifying three aspects. These are: (a) the area in which the human activities take place, (b) the area covered by the pressures generated by the activities on the prevailing habitats and species, in which pressures are defined as the mechanisms of change, and (c) the area over which any adverse effects occur. These features can be respectively termed the activities-footprints, the pressures-footprints and the effects-footprints. The latter in turn incorporates both the effects on the natural system and the effects on ecosystem services from which society extracts goods and benefits. This viewpoint article explains the rationale behind this typology and proposes definitions for each of these three types of footprints.

If compared to other countries around the world, Brazil has developed a rather rich and advanced environmental legislation, including public policies (PPs) related to environmental education (EE) and the coastal and marine zones. Thus, the country can be considered as a model, although there isn’t any PP in EE directed exclusively to coastal and marine areas yet, which can be considered as a great challenge to the improvement of EE in the Brazilian coast. In this context, this chapter aims: (a) to briefly present the only two Brazilian federal PPs exclusively oriented to EE; (b) point out 12 Brazilian emblematic federal PPs that can potentially cover the coastal and marine zones; and (c) discuss the main gaps and challenges related to the PPs and the Coastal and Marine Environmental Education (CMEE) in Brazil.

Over-fishing is a global problem that damages the marine environment and compromises the long-term sustainability of fisheries. This damage can be mitigated by restricting catch or other activities which can occur in marine areas. However, such management is only effective when restrictions are enforced to ensure compliance. We expect fishers to help enforce restrictions when they have exclusive user rights and can capture the benefits of management. In a number of such cases, however, fisher participation in the enforcement of user rights is absent. In this analysis we used central Chile as a case-study to investigate why some fishers may not participate in enforcement even when they have exclusive territorial user rights for fisheries. We used a best-worst scaling survey to assess why fishers would choose not to participate in enforcement through monitoring their TURF management areas, and what would help to increase their participation. We found that the main reason fishers may not monitor is because they consider government policing of marine areas and punishment of poachers to be ineffective. Increased and timely responsiveness by government when poachers are detected and more stringent penalisation of poachers may lead to greater involvement in enforcement by fishers.

While there is considerable international research focused on the conservation outcomes of marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine reserves (MRs) there is little information on the economic cost to establish and manage these protected areas. This study estimated the MR pre-establishment and establishment costs for the Taputeranga Marine Reserve (TMR) in New Zealand (NZ) and determined the annual management costs for this reserve and four further NZ MRs. Finally, the cost to local rock lobster fishers resulting from the displaced fishing effort once the TMR had been established was estimated. This research found that the TMR pre-establishment cost was approximately NZ$508,000, and the establishment process cost was approximately NZ$353,000. The annual management costs across the five reserves ranged between NZ$43,200 and NZ$112,500 between 2008/09 and 2010/11. The annual fishers displacement cost at TMR was approximately NZ$22,000 per annum. This research showed that on a unit area basis, small MRs in NZ are just as expensive to maintain as large MRs. This study also highlighted how volunteer effort helped to considerably reduce the monetary cost of the MR pre-establishment process. This research increases our understanding of establishment and management costs, and supports future planning of MRs both within NZ and internationally.

Drawing on experiences from the four regions and the overall conduct of the Marine Management Area Science (MMAS) program, this concluding article highlights emergent cross-cutting themes that affected MMAS programs across the regions, summarizes the important conservation outcomes of the MMAS program, and then discusses lessons gained from the actual process of conducting the MMAS program. Based on these insights, particularly the last section, this article concludes with recommendations for other conservation programs, specifically those that are global in scope and are science-based with a specific intent to apply that science to conservation action.

This special issue provides insight into global conservation science by analyzing a 5-year, $12.5 million global marine conservation science and policy program that included over 50 studies in four priority regions involving over 100 scientists and numerous partners. In doing so, it provides reflections on critical challenges for any conservation science program that is intended to inform policymaking, including how to (1) ensure that science process and products influence conservation actions, (2) build global learning from a network of site-based projects, (3) strengthen in-region capacity, and (4) manage relationships across scales among scientists, conservationists, headquarters, and field-based staff. Information is presented on the development and progress of the program as a whole in addition to specific articles covering each of four focal geographic areas: Belize, Brazil, the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape, and Fiji.

We argue that stakeholder commitment and cooperation is essential for the success of strategic coastal and marine management initiatives and draw upon social identity theory to explain how inter-group relationships can either support or hinder cooperation across stakeholder groups. We analyse data from interviews carried out with 24 coastal and marine stakeholders from the Northern Territory, Australia, looking at how stakeholders describe their objectives for coastal and marine management and evidence of social identity effects either facilitating or impeding cooperation between stakeholders. While most participants sought improvements to coastal and marine management, only some were thinking in terms of a more regional-scale, forward-looking and integrated approach. Strong social identity effects inhibiting cooperation between stakeholders were evident in many of the interviews. However, the interviews also revealed shared objectives (e.g., the need for more data, to avoid duplication of effort, and more transparent and systematic decision-making) that could serve as a basis for developing a common social identity, and fostering the commitment and cooperation needed for strategic coastal and marine management initiatives.

Future changes in Arctic marine ecosystems will depend as much on global climate change as on our ability to regulate and manage the exploitation pressure at sustainable levels. There is a lack of integrated, cross-sectoral ecosystem-based analysis of the Arctic marine management. The analysis would ideally include both the choices for implementing regulatory tools and how they will affect the many ecosystem-dependent values derived from them. The ability to maximize these values depends critically on the ways in which the dynamic bio-economic properties of the resources are impacted by the human behavior induced by the regulations (or lack thereof).

With successive Government restructuring and the introduction of the Marine and Coastal Access Act in 2009, this paper revisits a previous set of organograms created in 2006 indicating the government departments with responsibilities relating to the marine and coastal environment in England in 2014. The 2009 Act presented an opportunity to harmonise marine management by simplifying the complexity in England through a radical restructuring of marine governance; however this is apparently not the case with many overlapping responsibilities still existing. This paper provides an overview of the 2009 Act, discussing some of the significant changes like the creation of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), examines the current structure of marine management in England following its enactment and highlights the continued overlaps in jurisdiction, responsibilities and complexity of the government agencies with a marine remit.

Marine management has typically prioritised natural science methodological traditions as an evidence base for decision-making; yet better integration of social science methods are increasingly shown to provide a more comprehensive picture to base management decisions. Specifically, perceptions-based assessments are gaining support, as they can provide efficient and holistic evaluation regarding management issues. This study focuses on coral reefs because they are particularly threatened ecosystems, due to their ecological complexity, socio-economic importance, and the range of environmental drivers that impact them. Research has largely concentrated on assessing proximate threats to coral reefs. Less attention has been given to distal drivers, such as socio-economic and governance factors. A common understanding of threats related to coral reef degradation is critical for integrated management that takes account of peoples’ concerns. This study compares perceptions of drivers of reef health among stakeholders (n = 110) across different sectors and governance levels, in four Caribbean countries. Interview data identified 37 proximate and 136 distal drivers, categorised into 27 themes. Five sub-groups of themes connecting proximate and distal drivers were identified. Perceptions of two of these narratives, relating to ‘fishing and socioeconomic issues’ and ‘reef management and coastal development’, differed among respondents from different countries and sectors respectively. However, the findings highlight a shared perception of many themes, with 18 of the 27 (67%) mentioned by > 25% of respondents. This paper highlights the application of perceptions data for marine management, demonstrating how knowledge of proximate and distal drivers can be applied to identify important issues at different context-specific scales.

Marine capture fisheries are of global importance, supporting hundreds of millions of livelihoods and making a significant contribution to global food security. Yet many fisheries are at risk from unsustainable exploitation and fishing has caused significant detrimental impacts on the wider marine environment. The success of initiatives to improve marine management depends, at least partly, on fisher behaviour and there is a growing recognition of the need for increased fisher participation in planning and management. This study focuses on fishers׳ perceptions and attitudes towards marine and fisheries management, and explores how that knowledge can be used to improve future management strategies. One hundred and six fishers took part in a semi-structured questionnaire and mapping exercise. Fishers proved to be keen to participate, were candid in their responses and, contrary to common perception, were not opposed to regulations and management. Indeed, they acknowledged both to be essential for the long-term viability of the fisheries, and they expressed a need for tighter controls and better enforcement. Fishers did however feel that some of the current regulations and management measures were unjust, they expressed frustration with how hard it was for fishers to participate in the management decision making processes, and they were concerned that their representatives were not representative of the industry as a whole. Fishers expressed mixed feelings on MPAs; nevertheless, over half the fishers interviewed suggested that areas should be protected, and many supported some form of spatial restriction on mobile fishing gear. Fishers also reported both spatial and behavioural changes in their fishing as a result of rising fuel prices. Improved communication between fishers and managers was identified as key for enhancing participation. This study highlights some of the ways in which fisher participation could lead to more effective long-term solutions to marine and fisheries management problems.

Using a state, pressure, response framework, we provide an evidence-based reflection on environmental outcomes in Australia and New Zealand across the domains of climate change, biodiversity, freshwater and marine management, emphasising the role of Indigenous and business perspectives. Significant developments have occurred in the past 20 years through affirmation of Indigenous rights and responsibilities. Responses to climate change have tended to emphasise passive risk management with unclear outcomes. Despite meeting biodiversity protection targets, outcomes are worsening, suggesting a need to challenge the dualistic preservation/production land categorisations. In freshwater and marine management, a mix of collaborative and market-based responses has emerged, although their efficacy remains untested. A reliance on voluntary approaches by business makes critical assessment of progress difficult. Thus, despite strong progress in some areas, the adaptiveness of environmental management remains limited, and many indicators suggest continuing decline in environmental condition. Our responses have been largely pacifying in nature, leading to perverse outcomes and failure to acknowledge alternatives that might address deteriorating environmental conditions. A shift is needed towards deliberative policy experimentation that truly values the application of novel and diversified approaches and facilitates integrated learning across environmental domains.

Chen, S., 2019. Computer simulation of global ocean surface infrared image. In: Gong, D.; Zhu, H., and Liu, R. (eds.), Selected Topics in Coastal Research: Engineering, Industry, Economy, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 94, pp. 129–132. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.With the deepening of the understanding of the earth, the role of the ocean has become more and more recognized. The ocean plays a major role in the changes of the global environment. The importance of the marine environment, such as the role of the global carbon cycle and global climate change, forces people to observe and study it by various means. The strategic position of the ocean in the global economic construction is extremely important. The use of space technology to detect the ocean is particularly important and urgent in safeguarding marine rights, protecting the marine environment, developing marine resources, mitigating marine disasters and effectively implementing marine management. The global ocean surface infrared image is simulated and analyzed to provide ideas for its long-term development.

Marine spatial management is challenged by complex situations in European countries where multiple stakeholder interests and many management options have to be balanced. EU policy initiatives such as the proposed Marine Spatial Planning Directive, are in different ways targeting area allocation in European waters. In this circumstance, EU marine management needs assessments based on a satisfactory evaluation framework design that can ensure a transparent treatment of different types of information including interests, values, and facts. The main goal of this article is to introduce an evaluation framework applicable to marine management in European countries. This so-called CoExist framework maps out different types of relevant knowledge to assess future possibilities for use or no-use of marine areas and links this with appropriate management measures. The CoExist framework is based on the principles of ensuring transparent treatment of different types of information as well as appropriate stakeholder representation which can ensure legitimacy. Empirical findings in six European case studies have been obtained while conducting the CoExist framework. Applying the basic principles of the CoExist framework when planning future management directions of the coexistence of multiple activities in the long-run will expectedly affect the ecological and social-cultural goals by counterbalancing the economic ones.

Molecular tools and analyses have played pivotal roles in uncovering the processes and patterns of biodiversity in the Indian and Pacific oceans. However, integrating genetic results into management and conservation objectives has been challenging, with few examples that show practical applicability. This review aims to address some of the perceived barriers to an enhanced approach that integrates molecular data into management and conservation goals, by reviewing papers relevant to both conservation and fisheries management in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly with respect to phylogeography, connectivity, and species identification, as well as stock delineation, restoration of depleted wild stocks, mislabeled marine resources and "molecular forensics." We also highlight case studies from each of these areas that illustrate how molecular analyses are relevant to conservation and management in the Indo- Pacific, spanning a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate species. We discuss the application of genetic data to the design and evaluation of the effectiveness of marine protected area networks, stock delineation, and restoration and the usage of exclusion tests and parentage analyses for fisheries management. We conclude that there is a distinct need for increasing public awareness and ownership of genetically unique lineages and, ultimately, the increased inclusion of genetic research into management policy and conservation. Finally, we make a case for the importance of clear and effective communication for promoting public awareness, public ownership, and for achieving conservation goals within the region.

Marine planning presents considerable new challenges and opportunities for those responsible for managing the marine environment. In the UK, the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) provides a statutory framework for marine planning and has created a new administration responsible for its implementation. If marine planning is to be effective and achieve its stated goals it will require a pool of trained individuals who will be responsible for or will participate in marine planning. Based on data gathered during the development and delivery of an intensive professional course and a masters level programme, this paper explores the key elements of education and training required by marine planners. These include a knowledge of planning processes and national and international laws and conventions; an understanding of how marine plans can integrate with existing terrestrial and coastal plans and other management requirements; and an understanding of the marine and maritime environment, including the human activities and natural features. It concludes with a discussion of the different roles individuals may play in the planning process and thus their different training needs.

Marine protected areas are recognised as an important marine management strategy to deal with a range of user conflicts and over-exploitation of marine resources. This article explores the experiences of establishing a marine protected area as part of Bunaken National Park in the north of Indonesia's Sulawesi Province. The challenges faced in relation to institutional issues are examined. A literature review, key informant interviews and analysis of official documentation provide evidence regarding issues around government conflicts and the legal and structural issues of the management advisory board. The analysis identifies key issues regarding the conflict between the government and the management board that are influencing the success of managing this National Park.

In Europe and around the world, the approach to management of the marine environment has developed from the management of single issues (e.g., species and/or pressures) toward holistic Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) that includes aims to maintain biological diversity and protect ecosystem functioning. Within the European Union, this approach is implemented through the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC). Integrated Ecosystem Assessment is required by the Directive in order to assess Good Environmental Status (GES). Ecological modeling has a key role to play within the implementation of the MSFD, as demonstrated here by case studies covering a range of spatial scales and a selection of anthropogenic threats. Modeling studies have a strong role to play in embedding data collected at limited points within a larger spatial and temporal scale, thus enabling assessments of pelagic and seabed habitat. Furthermore, integrative studies using food web and ecosystem models are able to investigate changes in food web functioning and biological diversity in response to changes in the environment and human pressures. Modeling should be used to: support the development and selection of specific indicators; set reference points to assess state and the achievement of GES; inform adaptive monitoring programs and trial management scenarios. The modus operandi proposed shows how ecological modeling could support the decision making process leading to appropriate management measures and inform new policy., This manuscript is a result of DEVOTES (DEVelopment Of innovative Tools for understanding marine biological diversity and assessing good Environmental Status) project, funded by the European Union under the 7th Framework Programme, “The Ocean of Tomorrow” Theme (grant agreement no. 308392), www.devotes-project.eu.

Recent additions to marine environmental legislation are usually designed to fill gaps in protection and management, build on existing practices or correct deficiencies in previous instruments. Article 13 of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires Member States to develop a Programme of Measures (PoM) by 2015, to meet the objective of Good Environmental Status (GES) for their waters by 2020. This review explores key maritime-related policies with the aim to identify the opportunities and threats that they pose for the achievement of GES. It specifically examines how Member States have relied on and will integrate existing legislation and policies to implement their PoM and the potential opportunities and difficulties associated with this. Using case studies of three Member States, other external impediments to achieving GES are discussed including uses and users of the marine environment who are not governed by the MSFD, and gives recommendations for overcoming barriers.

The Gulf of California hosts astounding biodiversity that supports numerous economic activities in the region. These activities, and emerging threats, are placing pressure on the region's ecosystems. Government and civil society are working to address threats through several conservation and management mechanisms. Nevertheless, the use and incorporation of scientific information—a key component for creating effective and durable management—is still deficient. This article presents the concept of science integration and discusses the findings of a study that assesses the regional landscape, existing institutional arrangements, and capacity for using science to inform policy and management decisions. It also explores the current use of science within fisheries policy and management and the capacity of the National Network of Information and Research of Fisheries and Aquaculture (RENIIPA) and the State Fisheries and Aquaculture Councils, two mechanisms in the region. Finally, it shares lessons learned and of...

Coastal zone ecosystems sit between larger terrestrial and marine environments and, therefore, are strongly affected by processes occurring in both systems. Marine coastal zone systems provide a :range of benefits to humans, and yet many have been significantly degraded as a result of direct anq indirect human impacts. Management efforts have been hampered by disconnects both between management and scientific research and across linked marine-terrestrial systems. Manage­ ment jurisdictions often start or end at the shoreline, and multiple agencies at different levels of gov­ ernment often have overlapping or conflicting management goals or priorities, or suffer from a lack of knowledge or interest. Scientists also often fail to consider connections among linked marine-terres­ trial systems, and communication among agencies, among scientists in different diSCiplines, and between scientists and managers is often inadequate. However, despite the institutional and scien­ tific challenges inherent in improving coastal zone management, there are examples of increased coordination and cooperation among different organizations. We discuss a number of examples­ including where the marine-terrestrial and science-management disconnects persist and where better int~gration has led to successes in coastal zone management-and provide recommendations to scientists and managers on how to better link their efforts in science and management across marine and terrestrial systems.

Institutional interplay, or the ability of one institution to affect another, is a key feature of multi-level environmental governance that can influence the performance of institutions, such as marine protected areas (MPAs). In the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), MPA networks are being created to meet top-down, internationally defined MPA targets, while simultaneously there is a strong regional focus on bottom-up, community-based marine management. These apparently contradictory trends can be bridged through networks of community-based MPAs. To explore whether institutional interplay affects the success of such MPA networks, and to provide guidance for MPA-making in the WIO, the literature on ten geographically diverse MPA networks with community-based MPAs was reviewed. Because this is a first exploration into the topic, not all causal links between institutional interplay and MPA effectiveness could be confirmed, neither was any indication of interplay-related costs found. However, the analysis suggests th...