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Coastal and marine ecosystems provide valuable ecosystem services (ES) from which humans derive societal goods and benefits (SG&B) after inputting human capital. Their assessment and integration into management plans are crucial to maintain ecosystem productivity and ensure robust and resilient ecosystems. However, regulating and maintenance ecosystem services (RMES) are usually not given focused attention in ecosystem services assessments, despite their importance in supporting the ecological foundations of ecosystems and the provision of other ES. This research used regional to local indicators and spatial analysis to assess the provision of RMES along a coastal-open sea gradient in the northern coast of Portugal, as a tool to define priority areas for ecosystem-based and protected area management. Nine classes of RMES were identified and eleven indicators were used as proxies to assess and evaluate the continuum coast-sea multifunctionality, ES/SG&B bundles and hotspots and coldspots of ES supply. The study showed that 20% of the study area was classified as hotspots of RMES provision, i.e. areas with statistically significant higher values of RMES provision within the management area, and 28% classified as coldspots, i.e. areas with minimal values. The hotspots were mainly distributed along coastal areas and estuaries, with three main marine regions identified. While in general 39% of the areas identified as important for RMES provision were already protected, in the marine region only 30% of the key areas for RMES provision identified in this study are currently protected. The methods used in this work, using locally based and spatially explicit information on RMES provision, are applicable to other areas globally, as they are fundamental in supporting more effective management decisions at spatial scales from local to the wider regions. • Nine classes of RMES were identified using locally sourced, spatially explicit indicators. • RMES provision hotspot locations mainly along coastal areas and estuaries, with three main marine regions identified. • Potential RMES supply decreased from coast to open sea and moving inland, with 5 main bundles identified. • Hotspots of RMES provision represented 20% of the region, with 28% classified as coldspots. • Overall, protected areas included nearly 40% of areas classified as hotspots, although only 30% in marine areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferreira, M.A.; Johnson, D.; and Pereira da Silva, C., 2016. Measuring success of Ocean governance: a set of indicators from Portugal. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 982 - 986. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Evaluating the success of marine spatial planning (MSP) remains a challenging task. Portugal, one of the world's largest maritime nations, with its recent ocean governance framework, is an ideal case study for the development of an evaluation mechanism for MSP. This paper presents a brief characterization of Portugal's maritime area and of its legal regime, and a methodology for defining and selecting a set of indicators to evaluate MSP once it has been operational for a number of years. The resulting set of indicators is discussed, as are prospects for their development and generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being a large maritime nation, the need to develop sustainable ocean planning and management processes in Portugal has been gaining increased importance in the last decade. After promulgating its first national framework law on maritime spatial planning (MSP), Portugal has recently approved a new MSP Diploma that aims at “developing” (i.e. implementing in detail) the framework law. This paper analyzes and discusses the new Portuguese MSP Diploma by (1) briefly presenting its main specificities; (2) analyzing its contents (and comparing them to the EU MSP Directive contents), namely in what pertains to environmental references; (3) analyzing the link between the EU Marine Strategy Directive (MSFD) and the MSP implementation in Portugal; and (4) discussing the main challenges that the Diploma poses to the long-term sustainability of Portuguese ocean management. Results show that environmental references represent only a small account on the Diploma contents (c. 2% against c. 5% in the EU MSP Directive); main environmental topics addressed include environmental “monitoring” and “evaluation”, “environmental protection”, “sustainability”, and “good (environmental) status”; and the ecosystem-based approach is never referred to. In Portugal the same government entity has responsibility over the implementation of both MSP and the MSFD, and such an institutional framework is expected to promote sustainable maritime uses as well as a true coordination/communication between both processes. The Diploma enshrines several “unusual” aspects that may compromise environmental sustainability. Although the new Portuguese MSP Diploma has been recently approved and promulgated, it may still be amended in the framework of a parliamentary discussion, therefore still having the opportunity to overcome the identified environmental challenges/concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of available methods to understand the associations between land and sea in social and ecological systems. This work adapts a methodology to explore how coastal-marine areas in the Portuguese Mainland Subdivision spatially differ in socioeconomic and marine environmental characteristics. The methodology used a combined spatial analytical approach of ecological, social, economic, and land-cover variables. The outputs of this work were Marine Socio-Ecological Categories (MSEC) mapped along the coast. Results show contrasting ecological and societal conditions across the coastal municipalities. The northern region and some parts of the Algarve coast are experiencing higher socioeconomic development but are also facing higher resource demands and placing more pressure on marine and coastal ecosystems. MSEC categories are valuable to understand how different conditions may be dealt with at regional and national contexts in future management and planning policies. Mapping socio-ecological systems aid sustainable economic development, but further research is needed to improve the system analysis. This study shows that there is no land-sea divide and the interactions between both systems should be reflected in the existent policy framework. [Display omitted] • Method to study the spatial associations in coastal-marine socio-ecological systems. • Adapts a methodology to the Portuguese Mainland Subdivision. • Main outputs are the Marine Socio-Ecological Categories mapped along the coast. • Existent policy framework does not reflect the close connection between land-sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Numerous national governments and supranational organizations such as the OSPAR Commission, the European Union and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have underlined the importance of maritime spatial planning (MSP) for balancing and solving conflicts between the needs of different sectors and conservation in the marine space. In the last decade, many maritime spatial plans have been developed around the world. The drivers to develop these plans and the approaches to find solutions for the particular problems differ significantly. The Portuguese national marine jurisdiction is one of the largest in Europe. For the continental part, a maritime spatial plan was initiated in 2009, and entered in 2010 in the final stage of approval. One of the driving forces for this MSP initiative was the claim to extend its continental shelf. The development process was led by a multidisciplinary team. Despite the challenges, the existing as well as potential future marine resources and activities were characterized, mapped and categorized. To overcome conflicts resulting from the many overlapping uses and to assure sustainable development of all sectors, a conflict analysis and evaluation of potential future uses were necessary. The applied zoning scheme represented an exercise of conflict solving and proved to be a powerful tool to promote discussion and participation among stakeholders. The successful implementation of Portuguese MSP will rely largely on its ability to provide efficient management, financial and legal mechanisms to achieve the integration of all strategies and spaces under the Portuguese maritime jurisdiction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) sources, such as offshore wind, waves, tides, ocean currents, thermal and salinity gradients, appear as promising low-carbon forms of energy. However, with the sole exception of offshore wind, MRE exploitation is far from being commercially feasible. Among the obstacles faced by the sector, the complex legal framework that applies to MRE projects stands out. In this context, the objective of this work is to assess the main aspects of the MRE legal framework, and when necessary, propose corrective measures for further development of the sector. For this purpose, the countries of the Atlantic region of Europe (France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and the UK), which present one of the world's largest MRE resource, were used as a benchmark. Overall, the adoption of marine planning policies contributes positively to the development of the sector, defining priority areas for MRE exploitation and establishing clear preference criteria with other maritime activities. Furthermore, streamlining licensing procedures and periods, ideally adopting a one-stop-shop approach like the case of Scotland, becomes essential to attract new developers and investors to the MRE sector. Finally, the examples of Ireland, Portugal and especially the UK, show that the adoption of MRE sectoral plans, including actions for financial support, technology progress and supply chain development, is essential to achieve a fully-fledged MRE industry. • MRE is far from being a commercially viable energy source. • The complex legal framework applicable to MRE projects appears as one of the main limiting factors. • Maritime spatial planning will benefit the MRE industry, reducing conflicts with other usersand increasing legal certainty. • Public financial support is required for technology progress and supply chain development. • Streamlining licensing and consenting procedures becomes essential for the development of the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]