Questioning Joko Widodo’s Global Maritime Fulcrum: Change and Overlap Policy

The Global Maritime Fulcrum is a strategy chosen by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), declared in 2014, consisting of 7 pillars. This program has been running for three years since Presidential Regulation Number 16 of 2017 concerning the Indonesian Maritime Policy mainly focuses on domestic pillars such as the Sea Highway. This policy did not last long when President Jokowi entered his second term to focus on the vision of Indonesia Maju, which emphasized Indonesia's position as a developing country. Using Rumelt's right strategic approach and bad strategy and changes and continuity in foreign policy, the author tries to find the extent to which the implementation of Indonesian Marine policy can become Indonesia's central foreign policy? This research found, among other things: 1) Indonesian Marine Policy authorities overlap, even though there is no clear multi-sectoral scope of work between agencies. 2) The focus on domestic needs only makes the Indonesian Maritime Policy rely on the Sea Highway as the primary focus so that it is not oriented towards an outward-looking and long-term vision. 3) The lack of commitment of President Jokowi's administration in executing the points in the Presidential Regulation. The study concludes that President Jokowi completely changed Indonesia's Maritime Policy strategy in his second term.

GIS for Science, Volume 3: Maps for Saving the Planet

GIS for Science: Maps for Saving the Planet, Volume 3, highlights real-world examples of scientists creating maps about saving life on Earth and preserving biodiversity. With Earth and the natural world at risk from various forces, geographic information system (GIS) mapping is essential for driving scientifically conscious decision-making about how to protect life on Earth. In volume 3 of GIS for Science, explore a collection of maps from scientists working to save the planet through documenting and protecting its biodiversity. In this volume, learn how GIS and data mapping are used in tandem with: global satellite observation forestry marine policy artificial intelligence conservation biology, and environmental education to help preserve and chronicle life on Earth. This volume also spotlights important global action initiatives incorporating conservation, including Half-Earth, 30 x 30, AI for Earth, the Blue Nature Alliance, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The stories presented in this third volume are ideal for the professional scientist and conservationist and anyone interested in the intersection of technology and the conservation of nature. The book’s contributors include scientists who are applying geographic data gathered from the full spectrum of remote sensing and on-site technologies. The maps and data are brought to life using ArcGIS® software and other spatial data science tools that support research, collaboration, spatial analysis, and science communication across many locations and within diverse communities. The stories shared in this book and its companion website present inspirational ideas so that GIS users and scientists can work toward preserving biodiversity and saving planet Earth before time runs out.

Ten Considerations for Research Funders Seeking to Enhance Knowledge Exchange and the Impact of Marine Science on Policy and Practice

Research funders can play an important role in supporting the integration of marine science into policy and practice to enable evidence-informed decision-making. However, to date, there is a paucity of guidance available to help research funders understand the specific actions they can take to support knowledge exchange among the researchers that they fund and relevant stakeholders, particularly within marine contexts. This Brief Research Report aims to begin to fill this gap through an in-depth case study of the Lenfest Ocean Program (LOP). Specifically, through qualitative interviews with 32 participants across eight LOP funded research projects (i.e., case studies) we sought to: (i) understand the types of impacts that have resulted from the LOP funded research, (ii) determine which activities undertaken by the LOP enabled funded research projects to achieve these impacts, and (iii) synthesize findings to articulate the core lessons that have emerged from our examination of these research projects. Results show that the concept of “research impact” is complex and can be interpreted in a number of ways including: (i) raising awareness of research among end-users, (ii) development and expansion of social networks, (iii) the provision of information to decision-makers, (iv) the development of decision-support tools, and (v) a direct contribution to policy change. We highlight the ways by which the LOP has supported the attainment of these impacts, as well as 10 general considerations that research funders should consider when seeking to enhance the impact of the research that they fund on marine policy and practice.

Science for Good Environmental Status: A European Joint Action to Support Marine Policy

In the last decade, several initiatives have been taken at a European level to adopt the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) by promoting coordination and stimulating integrated actions leading to consistent views on its final goal: the achievement of good environmental status (GES). In its holistic approach, the MSFD fully acknowledges the complexity and variability of marine ecosystems and demands constant scientific support for its actual implementation. Recently, the Joint Programming Initiative on “Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans” (JPI Oceans) launched the joint action “Science for Good Environmental Status” (Science4GES), building on the contribution of different scientific disciplines and communities to better fulfill the scope of the MSFD. In this paper we illustrate and discuss a few crucial aspects of endeavors to implement the MSFD specifically implied in the definition of the metrics for the 11 descriptors and GES in its complexity, as well as improving the strategy governing its implementation. This presentation also describes the challenges, aims and implementation plan for the JPI-O joint action, where a transdisciplinary approach may help in progressing from the comprehensive and far-reaching vision of the MSFD to the achievement of a durable GES.

How to Motivate Individuals to Take Responsible Ocean Action: the Mediate Effect of Attitude Towards the Ocean

When considering how to improve public literacy and behavior related to specific themes, top priority is usually given to strategies to enhance knowledge and understanding. However, recent evidence has shown that attitude could be an important factor in the development of behavior. The aim of this study is to explore the relationships among ocean knowledge, attitude towards the ocean, and intention to take responsible behavior in the marine setting. After recruiting a total of 266 volunteers, participants’ ocean knowledge, their attitudes towards the ocean, and their intention to behave responsibly were evaluated using questionnaires. The results indicate that attitude may be more important than knowledge in terms of the effect on intention, and a person’s attitude towards the ocean may indeed be the full mediator between ocean knowledge and their intention to show responsible marine behavior. Based on these results, the development of marine policy and public education should consider the importance of attitude in achieving the primary aim, of ensuring that people engage in responsible ocean behavior. At the same time, it is noted that appropriate knowledge provides people with insights that may determine the correctness of their behavior.

Opportunities and Challenges for Including Oyster-Mediated Denitrification in Nitrogen Management Plans

Nitrogen pollution is one of the primary threats to coastal water quality globally, and governmental regulations and marine policy are increasingly requiring nitrogen remediation in management programs. Traditional mitigation strategies (e.g., advanced wastewater treatment) are not always enough to meet reduction goals. Novel opportunities for additional nitrogen reduction are needed to develop a portfolio of long-term solutions. Increasingly, in situ nitrogen reduction practices are providing a complementary management approach to the traditional source control and treatment, including recognition of potential contributions of coastal bivalve shellfish. While policy interest in bivalves has focused primarily on nitrogen removal via biomass harvest, bivalves can also contribute to nitrogen removal by enhancing denitrification (the microbial driven process of bioavailable nitrogen transformation to di-nitrogen gas). Recent evidence suggests that nitrogen removed via enhanced denitrification may eclipse nitrogen removal through biomass harvest alone. With a few exceptions, bivalve-enhanced denitrification has yet to be incorporated into water quality policy. Here, we focus on oysters in considering how this issue may be addressed. We discuss policy options to support expansion of oyster-mediated denitrification, describe the practical considerations for incorporation into nitrogen management, and summarize the current state of the field in accounting for denitrification in oyster habitats. When considered against alternative nitrogen control strategies, we argue that enhanced denitrification associated with oysters should be included in a full suite of nitrogen removal strategies, but with the recognition that denitrification associated with oyster habitats will not alone solve our excess nitrogen loading problem.

Temporal Patterns in Offshore Bird Abundance During the Breeding Season at the Dutch North Sea Coast

The expanding development of offshore wind farms brings a growing concern about the human impact on seabirds. To assess this impact a better understanding of offshore bird abundance is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate offshore bird abundance in the breeding season and model the effect of predictable environmental factors. We used a bird radar, situated at the edge of a wind farm (52.427827°N, 4.185345°E), to record hourly aerial bird abundance at the North Sea near the Dutch coast between May 1st and July 15th in 2019 and 2020.The effect of sun position, week in the breeding season, and astronomic tide on hourly bird abundance was evaluated using generalized additive modelling. Sun position and week in the breeding season had a modest and statistically significant (p<0.001) effect on bird abundance, while astronomic tide did not. Predicted abundance was higher during the day than during the night, with highest abundance in the morning. Abundance increased throughout the breeding season until the end of June, but decreased again in July. In total the model explained 18.5% of deviance in bird abundance, indicating offshore bird abundance is partially dependent on predictable external factors. The high variability in bird abundance at scales ranging from hours up to weeks emphasizes the need for long term and continuous data which radar technology can provide. The findings of this study can help improve offshore bird density estimations and provide context on the temporal fluctuations in bird abundance for marine policy making.