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Integrating stakeholder knowledge, views and needs in marine or maritime spatial planning (MSP) processes is important from a governance and social sustainability perspective both for MSP practitioners and for the evolving field of MSP research. Transboundary MSP appears particularly challenging for participation, which is why it is important to identify opportunities and address obstacles for stakeholder integration in this specific context. This article examines how stakeholder integration is currently practiced in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), an enclosed sea where policy coherence and addressing conflicting interests across borders are especially relevant. It synthesises a range of challenges and enablers for stakeholder participation and mobilisation that have emerged from two transboundary MSP research and development projects, BaltSpace and Baltic SCOPE. The article finds that with the exception of statutory authorities, stakeholder engagement in the BSR is mostly limited to self-motivated stakeholders and consultation rather than more inclusive forms of participation. This can reduce the quality and legitimacy of MSP processes and risks to concentrate power in the hands of a small group of actors. For transboundary stakeholder integration to become more interactive and effective, five types of challenges need attention, regarding a) timing, b) governance systems, c) capacity and processes, d) stakeholder characteristics and e) knowledge and language. These obstacles can be addressed by (1) a dedicated research and development agenda that critically reflects on integrative tools and processes, and (2) by encouraging transnational institutions in the BSR to devote more resources to transboundary stakeholder integration and adopt flexible and adaptive strategies and tools that can facilitate stakeholder involvement throughout the MSP policy cycle. • Cross-border collaboration is key to sustainably govern shared seas - stakeholder integration (SI) serves an important link. • BaltSpace and Baltic SCOPE mapped challenges and enablers for transboundary SI in the Baltic Sea as near-paradigmatic case. • 5 main types of challenges for SI were identified: timing, governance-systems, processes, stakeholder and knowledge related. • Except for authorities and a few key stakeholders, cross-border SI is presently mostly consultative and often transitory. • Continuous, interactive SI is enabled by TB collaboration, time, resources, capacity building and institutional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full-coverage maps on the distribution of marine biotopes are a necessary basis for Nature Conservation and Marine Spatial Planning. Yet biotope maps do not exist in many regions. We are generating the first full-coverage biotope map for the German Baltic Sea according to the HELCOM Underwater biotope and habitat classification system (HUB). Species distribution modelling is applied to create full-coverage spatial information of biological features. The results of biomass modelling of twelve target taxa and presence/absence modelling of three target taxa enabled the identification of biological levels up to HUB level 6. Environmental data on bathymetry, light penetration depth and substrate are used to identify habitat levels. HUB biotope levels were combined with HUB habitat levels to create a biotope map. Altogether, 68 HUB biotopes are identified in the German Baltic Sea. The new biotope map combining substrate characteristics and biological communities will facilitate marine management in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the enactment of the European Maritime Spatial Planning Directive many coastal Member States are confronted with the challenge of applying Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) in the context of setting up marine spatial plans for the first time. In addition, they are obliged to apply an ecosystem-based approach (EBA) in their new marine/maritime spatial planning (MSP) frameworks. This study examines how the emerging practice of applying SEAs in MSP contributes to the implementation of an EBA. Five case studies from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea marine regions are investigated. The assessment framework is based on the EBA key elements that members of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission and Visions and Strategies around the Baltic Sea agreed upon. The findings of this study underline that SEAs in MSP are potentially a valuable implementation tool for an EBA. However, so far planning reality lacks behind this potential. Analysis shows that not yet all criteria for EBA key elements are addressed in the case studies. In particular, 'alternative development', 'precaution' and 'adaptation' require more specific actions. Key elements were often addressed in a general manner, not reaching the stage of explicit measures. It is necessary to refine vague concepts, to operationalise principles and to advance in knowledge and comparable and transparent methodologies to meet the demands of an EBA. Recommendations are given how to close the gaps from an EBA perspective. • SEA is a valuable implementation tool for an EBA in MSP, if effectively applied. • Emerging marine SEA practise stays behind its potential from an EBA perspective. • There is a lack of detailed SEA guidance for marine space. • SEA must be supported by other mechanisms to fully achieve ecosystem-based MSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the accelerating development of methods for sustainability assessment (SA) to support maritime spatial planning (MSP), by proposing an ecosystem services based framework for SA. MSP is generally seen as an important approach to promote a more sustainable use of sea space. However, so far all sustainability concerns are not equally well represented in planning practise; in particular, social sustainability aspects such as social justice and sociocultural values related to human-nature connectedness receive less attention. We first explored concepts and principles related to sustainability assessment and social sustainability in the scientific literature. Based on this, we analysed how far the present approaches to assessments in Baltic Sea EU Member States have been extended from environmental concerns to towards broader sustainability concerns so far. Using current best practise in two pioneering countries (UK and Sweden), we illustrated how social sustainability principles could match with applied social impact criteria, and further, how such criteria can inform an ecosystem services-based impact assessment framework. Based on existing frameworks, including the DPSIR (driving forces, pressures, state, impact, response) environmental assessment framework and the ecosystem service cascade, we propose a sustainability impact assessment framework for MSP (MSP-SA) integrating across sustainability dimensions and including assessment of distributional aspects of marine ecosystem service benefits. Finally, we discuss the applicability and further development of the framework in relation to present day sustainability assessment practise in MSP. • MSP needs sustainability assessments that reach across all three dimensions of sustainability. • Social sustainability is so far under-considered and underdeveloped in coastal and marine spatial planning, both in terms of conceptualisation, data and methods. • Ecosystem services and distributional aspects of their derived benefits (and dis-benefits) can be integrated by linking cascaded ecosystem services analysis with a DPSIR perspective. • This framework can be applied both as analytical tool for ex-ante strategic assessments and to support conceptual structuring of themes and topics among stakeholders. • To be workable, and catch all social sustainability dimensions including equity, it needs to be coupled with a well facilitated participation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new proposed framework to assess sustainability impacts of maritime spatial plans (MSP-SA) utilises the ecosystem service (ES) concept to address the often-lacking social sustainability of the plans. This study departs in the MSP-SA framework and applies it to the (emerging) sea use of mussel farming. Informed by a literature review and two surveys, it is investigated whether the benefits and impacts of mussel farming can be related to underlying ES and relevant planning questions. The results show that most benefits and impacts of mussel farming can be connected to ES and reveal different user-environment-beneficiary interactions, ranging from conflicts to synergies. The marine planning framework is structured into different planning phases and it is shown that the ES concept can contribute to a normative vision, strategic objectives, and site-specific operational questions. Studying the different user-environment-beneficiary interactions can reveal who benefits and who loses from planning decisions. While the marine planning framework developed in this study is targeted at mussel farming, the approach can be adapted to other uses and planning areas and can contribute to social and equity aspects in MSP by considering the receivers of (dis)benefits. • (Dis)benefits of a marine use (mussel farming) are related to ecosystem services. • It is shown that the ecosystem service concept relates to different planning phases. • In each phase, different user-environment-beneficiary interactions can be addressed. • The framework may increase social sustainability by considering (dis)beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mussel farming has increasingly come into focus as a potential mitigation measure for fish farms and eutrophication, in addition to being a food source. This study presents a GIS-based suitability analysis combined with a farm scale model to identify appropriate mussel farming sites. The sites are investigated in terms of potential mussel harvest, nutrient removal, and effects on water transparency. The model is applied to the south-western Baltic Sea. The identified suitable area is about 5–8% of the case study extent. The model shows that elevated chlorophyll levels stimulate mussel growth and that upon mussel harvest, nutrients can be removed. A single mussel farm cannot compensate for all nutrients emitted by a fish farm, but it can increase water transparency up to at least 200 m from the farm. Potential nutrient removal and water transparency increases are essential criteria for site selection in eutrophic seas, such as the Baltic Sea. Unlabelled Image • Mussel farming may be an internal measurement to mitigate eutrophication • To identify suitable sites, a combined GIS analysis and farm scale model is applied • The GIS analysis identifies spatial constraints in the south-western Baltic Sea • The farm scale model estimates nutrient removal and impact on water transparency • These parameters should be part of mussel farm site selection in eutrophic areas [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence that the ecosystem service (ES) concept can provide valuable input to marine spatial planning (MSP), by highlighting which ecosystem goods and services can be produced from a planning area. ES link the underlying ecosystem processes and functions to the benefits humans can receive from ecosystems (the ecosystem cascade). In this study, we argue that the ecosystem cascade can be used to structure the stock-taking and future scenario analysis in MSP. However, indicators, which are needed for measuring ES, have often been applied in various ways to the different steps of the cascade. Here, we apply a consistent approach to sorting indicators into the cascade. The indicators are presented in an indicator pool that can be used to filter them based on the cascade steps, several quality criteria, and themes. The pool consists of 772 indicators, of which 735 were analyzed. In total, 252 analyzed indicators belong to the provisioning services, 314 indicators to the regulating services and 169 to the cultural services. The indicator pool offers a suitable starting point to select indicators for ES assessments within MSP. Using indicators at the different cascade steps allows the assessment of i) the ecosystem components generating the services and ii) the impacts on ES and their beneficiaries when changes occur in the provision of the services due to planning or management decisions. • An indicator pool for assessing the flow of marine ecosystem services (ES). • The 735 indicators cover 51 relevant marine biotic and abiotic ES classes. • They are structured into capacity, service, benefit and value indicators. • The indicators are quality-checked and aggregated into indicator themes. • The indicator pool provides a common starting point for ES assessments in MSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for harmonised data management in Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is a complex procedure and subject of discussions since MSP started to evolve. Several national and international efforts and agreements (e.g. INSPIRE, HELCOM VASAB recommendations) on consistent data management have been developed. Although, 'space' and 'time' have been recognised as key information for MSP, their categorisation within MSP datasets has not been addressed so far.In MSP, data and information are primarily processed with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). But most information on social and socio-economic data which are also relevant for MSP are non-spatial evidence.We present a conceptual approach to categorise the spatial and temporal dimension of data and two options for the practical implementation: within the dataset or within the metadata. It allows an easy and intuitive classification for a more transparent and detailed data management. Additionally, we propose a way, how non-spatial data and spatial data can be organised in the same GIS-system, allowing analyses based on 'space' and 'time' by users as well as advanced automated instruments in a more exhaustive manner. It is essential to analyse activities taking place in the 3-dimensional sea space with regard to the space they occupy and affect. The introduced classification enables the differentiation of the vertical and the horizontal dimension and it allows the selection and focus on operations taking place e.g. only on the sea surface or the seafloor. An integrated overview about all relevant information for MSP processes will enable more effective and more transparent knowledge building and decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]