Identifying multiple-use conflicts prior to marine spatial planning: A case study of A multi-legislative estuary in Brazil

Marine functional zoning (MFZ) is a type of marine spatial planning (MSP) implemented widely in China and one of the three major systems defined in the Law of the PRC on the Administration of Sea Area Use. China adopts “top-down management” for MFZ, in which upper management levels impose clear constraints and restrictions on lower levels. However, this approach has led to issues, such as a rigid MFZ classification system and unreasonable re-allocation of control indicators in the process of assigning MFZ classification at different levels. In this study, we propose and demonstrate the coordination of MFZ revision in terms of the classification system and the re-allocation of control indicators in the coastal city of Putian, China. The results show that the proposed measures could help realize the effective and reasonable coordination of MFZ revisions at the provincial and municipal levels, providing a reference for such MFZ revisions in other regions of China and the coordination of MSP between different levels in other countries.

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Is Marine Spatial Planning Enough to Overcome Biological Data Deficiencies?

Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management ◽

10.1142/s1464333218500126 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (04) ◽

pp. 1850012 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kendra Ryan ◽

Andy Danylchuk ◽

Adrian Jordaan

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Spatial Planning ◽

The United States ◽

Biological Data ◽

Offshore Wind ◽

Marine Spatial Planning ◽

Collective Case Study ◽

Installed Capacity ◽

Permitting Process

The United States only accounts for 0.2% of the global offshore wind installed capacity despite a potential technical resource four orders of magnitude greater. A cumbersome permitting process is one of the challenges in implementing new projects. Part of this process requires biological data in order to inform assessments of environmental impacts; yet these data may be lacking for particular taxa at the required scale. Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a process that often includes data identification, collection, collation and analyses components. In this paper, we conduct a collective case study of three areas with offshore wind projects located in waters managed by marine spatial plans, focusing on how data efforts inform MSP and offshore wind development. Our study finds that MSP can facilitate data efforts during the permitting phase of offshore wind projects, but that other initiatives, particularly renewable energy policies and zoning, appear critical towards establishing offshore wind.

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Framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna to inform Marine Spatial Planning: The Falkland Islands case study

Marine Policy ◽

10.1016/j.marpol.2018.02.017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 92 ◽

pp. 61-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Amélie A. Augé ◽

Maria P. Dias ◽

Ben Lascelles ◽

Alastair M.M. Baylis ◽

Andy Black ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Planning ◽

Falkland Islands ◽

Marine Spatial Planning ◽

Marine Megafauna

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Assessing the Ecological Sensitivity of Coastal Marine Ecosystems: A Case Study in Xiamen Bay, China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11226372 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (22) ◽

pp. 6372 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wenjia Hu ◽

Weiwei Yu ◽

Zhiyuan Ma ◽

Guanqiong Ye ◽

Ersha Dang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Planning ◽

Marine Ecosystems ◽

Chinese Government ◽

Marine Spatial Planning ◽

Xiamen Bay ◽

Study Region ◽

Marine Habitats ◽

Coastal Marine ◽

Coastal Marine Ecosystems

Coastal marine ecosystems are sensitive to anthropogenic stressors and environmental change. The Chinese Government proposed an ecosystem-based marine spatial planning scheme called the “Marine Ecological Red Line” (MERL), aimed at protecting ecologically sensitive areas. The assessment and mapping of ecosystem sensitivity provide important tools for regional MERL and setting conservation priorities. In this study, an integrated framework for the comprehensive sensitivity assessment of coastal marine ecosystems was proposed. This framework had two components: endogenous sensitivity and exogenous sensitivity. A weighted summation method was used along with a GIS-based spatial analysis to calculate regional sensitivity quantitatively. Taking Xiamen Bay in China as a case study, the approach integrated spatial data on the distribution of marine habitats and multiple human activities. An index system (including 26 indicators) was established for the case study. Five areas with different levels of sensitivity were delineated. In the study region of 1281 km2, areas with extremely high and high sensitivity covered 87 km2 and 235 km2, respectively, and were hypothesized to be priority areas of conservation and regulation. Areas with the highest sensitivity were located closer to Jiulongjiang Estuary and along the coastline of Xiang’an. Areas with lower sensitivity were also mapped in Tong’an Bay, representing possible areas that could accommodate future industrial or intensive human use. Comparative analyses between endogenous sensitivity and exogenous sensitivity allowed the presence of development-protection conflict zones to be identified. The results provide an important scientific basis for MERL decisions. In addition, targeted management strategies were proposed for Xiamen Bay. This study presents an operational approach to provide relevant scientific knowledge on the process of ecosystem-based marine spatial planning, facilitating policy-making decisions in sustainable coastal and marine management.

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