Maritime Spatial Planning and Protection of the Marine Environment

Protection and preservation of the marine environment is a priority under international law, as codified and further developed in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Nonetheless, the current state of the marine environment questions whether the approach adopted in the UNCLOS and other legal instruments, whereby each type of pollution is addressed separately, really suffices to ensure good environmental status. For this reason, new tools have been developed, including marine (or maritime) spatial planning (MSP) and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). This article discusses MSP and its role in ensuring protection of the marine environment, both within and beyond areas under national jurisdiction.

Connectivity Patterns for Direct Developing Invertebrates in Fragmented Marine Habitats: Fish Farms Fouling as Source Population in the Establishment and Maintenance of Local Metapopulations

Artificial structures can be considered as high spatially structured habitats in the marine pelagic system, where patch connectivity would be strongly dependent on the exchange of larvae or dispersing individuals. Fish-farms located offshore may alter ecological connectivity, modifying trophic resources, and species dispersal among patches. High population densities of invertebrates can be found associated with fish-farm fouling communities, which can act as a seed source, contributing to the patterns of connectivity through individuals exchange between subpopulations or with sink populations. A field experiment was performed to analyse the role of fish-farms in the colonisation of new uninhabited habitats (floating experimental units) located at different positions relative to the fish farm and the main current, containing artificial habitats with and without feed pellets similar to those used in the fish farm. Amphipods were used as example of direct developing invertebrates for studying dispersing individuals from the fish farm to the new habitats. The richest and most abundant populations in this study were found close to and downstream of the fish farm, surpassing 1,000 amphipods at their maximum. Moreover, some floating habitats located more than 2 km from the fish farm were colonised in only 15 days. Thus, the role of fish farms has been shown to extend beyond a ‘stepping-stones’ effect in species dispersal, and have an additional effect on ecological connectivity by increasing population sizes and acting as population source. Our study aims to provide recommendations for coastal zone management in order to predict potential spread from fish farms to other platforms in the future and promote solutions related to interactions and consequences of connectivity within and between marine facilities.

Integrated Methodological Approach for the Documentation of Marine Priority Habitats and Submerged Antiquities: Examples from the Saronic Gulf, Greece

The rising human activities and resource exploitation have increased pressure in the coastal zone and the marine environment, risking the very existence of Marine Priority Habitats (MPH) and Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH). The delimitation of these two priority areas in a time- and cost-effective way is essential for the sustainable management and exploitation of sea resources and natural-cultural heritage preservation. We propose an Integrated Methodological Approach for the Detection and Mapping of MPH and UCH. To achieve this, we used a downscale methodological approach of increasing spatial resolution based on three main methodological axes: (i) desk-based research, (ii) marine geophysics/seafloor classification, and (iii) in-depth visual inspection/3D mapping. This methodological scheme was implemented at the Saronic Gulf and focused on Aegina island. The methodology proposed, which combines existing and new techniques, proved successful in detecting and mapping the MPH and UCH in detail, while it compiled the information necessary for the establishment of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) maps. Finally, the MSP map constructed for the Saronic Gulf demonstrated the lack of holistic coastal zone management plans due to impacts on UCH linked to anthropogenic intervention and the sparsity of marine habitats owing to marine pollution.

A Multidisciplinary Approach for the Mapping, Automatic Detection and Morphometric Analysis of Ancient Submerged Coastal Installations: The Case Study of the Ancient Aegina Harbour Complex

The documentation of underwater cultural heritage (UCH) is the basis for sustainable maritime development including its protection, preservation, and incorporation in coastal zone management plans. In this study, we present a multidisciplinary, non-intrusive downscale approach for the documentation of UCH implemented on the coastal area of Aegina Island, Greece, where a unique submerged harbour complex is preserved. This approach succeeded in obtaining information that serves both geomorphological and archaeological purposes in a time- and cost-effective way, while obtaining information of centimeters to millimeters scale. The geomorphology of the area was mapped in detail through marine geophysical means while ancient submerged conical rubble structures and breakwaters were documented using automatic seafloor segmentation techniques, revealing previously unknown sites of archaeological interest. The structures’ parameters were extracted from the acoustic data to analyze their morphometry, while photogrammetry was realized using a Remotely Operated Vehicle to expose their micro-structure. The spatial distribution of the structures revealed the construction of a well-planned harbour complex with multiple passages and different possible functionalities. Finally, through the structures’ morphometric analysis (geometry and terrain statistical parameters) their preservation status was revealed, demonstrating the anthropogenic impact on the submerged ancient structures due to the modern harbor activity.

Applications of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Technology to Support Integrated Coastal Zone Management and the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the Coast

Data and information obtained from low-cost uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as ‘drones’, can be used to support integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) and sustainable development at the coast. Several recent studies in various disciplines, including ecology, engineering, and several branches of physical and human geography, describe the applications of UAV technology with practical coastal management potential, yet the extent to which such data can contribute to these activities remains underexplored. The main objective of this paper is to collate this knowledge to highlight the areas in which UAV technology can contribute to ICZM and can influence the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the coast. We focus on applications with practical potential for coastal management activities and assess their accessibility in terms of cost, ease of use, and maturity. We identified ten (out of the 17) SDGs to which UAVs can contribute data and information. Examples of applications include surveillance of illegal fishing and aquaculture activities, seaweed resource assessments, cost-estimation of post-storm damages, and documentation of natural and cultural heritage sites under threat from, for example, erosion and sea-level rise. An awareness of how UAVs can contribute to ICZM, as well as the limitations of the technology, can help coastal practitioners to evaluate their options for future management activities.

Tidal Flood Risk on Salt Farming: Evaluation of Post Events in the Northern Part of Java Using a Parametric Approach

Tidal flood risk threatens coastal urban areas and their agriculture and aquaculture, including salt farming. There is, therefore, an urgency to map and portray risk to reduce casualties and loss. In the floodplain of Cirebon, West Java, where salt farming dominates the landscape, this type of flooding has frequently occurred and disrupted the local economy. Based on two recorded events in 2016 and 2018 as benchmarks, this paper formulates an innovative approach to analyze tidal flood risk in salt farming areas. Our study considers the fundamental concepts of hazard and vulnerability, then uses selective parameters for evaluation in an Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP)-based Geographic Information System. The analytical process includes weighting criteria judged by experts and uses the resulting values to define the spatial characteristics of each salt parcel. Our high-resolution simulations show that the two flood events in 2016 and 2018 affected almost all salt production areas, particularly in the eastern, middle, and western parts of the Cirebon floodplain, although to very different degrees. The study also uses a physical-based approach to validate these results. The damage estimates show a strong positive correlation for economic loss (r = 0.81, r = 0.84). Finally, the study suggests that our multi-methods approach to assessing tidal flood risk should be considered in disaster mitigation planning and integrated coastal zone management in salt farming areas.

The Mangrove Forests of the Cameroon Coast and its Socio-Economic Significan

The study analyses anthropogenic influence on the mangrove forests of the Cameroon coast and focuses on the development and improvement of the constructive- geographical foundations of rational nature management for the conservation and possible renewal of its natural resources base. The exploitation of mangrove forest landscapes has yielded significant benefits to the local population living within the mangrove forest limits, but the beneficiaries have not made commensurate investments in their sustainability and rational use. Therefore, this habitat must be carefully conserved or protected from wanton anthropogenic activities for the development purpose. The study made use primary and secondary data in establishing the facts analysed in this work. The secondary data comprised of materials of prominent authors who have contributed much to the findings related to coastal mangroves. Primary data collection was field visits carried out by the author in 2016. Questionnaires and semi- structural questions were used to collect information from mangrove exploiters. The findings confirm that the coastal mangrove forests in Cameroon have multiple functions beneficial to the communities adjacent to the coast, but, unfortunately, the beneficiaries have not made commensurate efforts to their sustainability and rationale. The Mangrove forests covered a surface area of 200 000 km2, but Cameroon lost 30 % of its mangrove forest cover in 1980–2006. If projected under ceteris paribus, Cameroon lost approximately 45 % of its mangrove forest cover in1980–2020. Haven understood that man has raped huge surfaces of mangrove forest for his selfish economic gains, the study proposed an urgent need for environmentally sustainable adaptive strategies like those earmarked in the Ramsay agreement and the ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) for the rational management of coastal mangroves in Cameroon.