Marine spatial planning from the perspective of a small seaside community in Ireland

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is advocated as a means of managing human uses of the sea in a manner that is consistent with the maintenance of the ecological goods and services of the marine environment. Support for the process is evident at international and national levels but the degree to which it is acceptable to local level stakeholders is not clear. An Daingean (formely Dingle) is a small sea-oriented town situated on the southwest coast of Ireland in which marine-based tourism and other relatively new uses of the sea are pursued along side traditional fishing activities. Stakeholders in An Daingean are found to be positively disposed to a local process of MSP that incorporates meaningful local involvement.     

The role of stakeholders in the marine planning process—Stakeholder analysis within the Solent, United Kingdom

England is about to embark on the introduction of an integrated approach to the management of its marine environment, known as marine planning. The management of human activity in the marine environment is a central function of marine planning; therefore, stakeholder involvement will be crucial for the successful development and subsequent implementation of marine plans. The range of stakeholder activities, their connection to the marine environment and interest in its management are likely to vary considerably on a local, regional and national scale. It is realistic to assume that it will not be possible to involve every stakeholder all the time; therefore in order to develop efficient and effective stakeholder involvement during the marine planning process it is sensible to determine who to involve, when to involve them, and how to involve them from the outset. This paper discusses the role of stakeholders in the marine planning process through consideration of the results of a stakeholder analysis, which was informed by primary data collated from stakeholders within the Solent. The paper concludes with a proposed mechanism, comprising different organisational units, for managing stakeholder involvement in the marine planning process.     

Citizen science and the power of public participation in marine spatial planning

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is becoming increasingly used in the sustainable management of marine and coastal ecosystems. However, limitations on time and resources often restrict the data available for MSP and limit public engagement and participation in the MSP process. While citizen science is being increasingly used to provide fine-scale environmental data across large terrestrial planning areas, there has been little uptake in MSP to date. This paper demonstrates how consistent citizen observations can be used to identify hotspots of good and poor environmental health across a MSP region, and where environmental health has improved or degraded in the past five years; information that is difficult to obtain by other means. The study demonstrates how citizen science provides valuable insight into environmental health across a MSP region, while fostering a supportive space for the public to contribute their own observations and participate in the planning process.     

A roadmap for marine spatial planning: A critical examination of the European Commission's guiding principles based on their application in the Clyde MSP Pilot Project

The European Commission has developed a set of common principles for marine spatial planning in the European Union. A critical examination of these principles in practice is undertaken through an evaluation of the Clyde Marine Spatial Planning Pilot Project. The principles are found to be lacking in specificity and somewhat inconsistent with the ecosystem based approach, which they advocate. Lessons for new marine spatial planning initiatives, relating particularly to stakeholder participation, governance, data requirements, objective setting, and skills and knowledge needs, are derived from the Clyde Pilot.     

Experimental activities that intentionally perturb the marine environment: Implications for the marine environmental protection and marine scientific research provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

The global community's ability to assess the environmental effects of marine scientific research (MSR) as required by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea's (UNCLOS) marine environment provisions (MEP) is limited, as shown by experimental activities that intentionally manipulate the marine environment. Such work enhances knowledge of the ocean, but it may also have significant environmental effects. This growing use of the ocean as a laboratory has global scientific, environmental, legal and policy implications. Examined here is the relationship between the MSR and the MEP provisions of UNCLOS. International, science-driven guidelines are proposed.     

山东昌邑国家级海洋生态特别保护区生态环境现状及管护对策研究

山东昌邑国家级海洋生态特别保护区是目前国内唯一以柽柳林生态系统为主要管理和保护对象的国家级海洋保护区。为系统、全面地了解保护区内生态环境和保护物种的变化趋势,文章对山东昌邑国家级海洋生态特别保护区生态环境现状进行了监测与评价,并根据评价结果,分析了保护区保护与管理中存在的问题。研究表明,该保护区生态环境一直处于亚健康状态,为促进保护及管护,提出了加强保护区生态建设,改变保护区开发利用模式;加强能力建设,实现保护区动态监控;协调发展与保护的关系,实现资源可持续利用;大力开展柽柳生态修复,恢复柽柳的资源状况的对策建议。     

Recent sudden decrease of lead in Adriatic coastal seawater during the years 2000–2004 in parallel with the phasing out of leaded gasoline in Italy

In parallel with the process of lead removal from gasoline in Italy, a research programme was undertaken to study the lead content of Adriatic coastal seawater. In the period 2000–2004 seawater was collected systematically at three sites along the coast line close to the city of Ancona: (i) the mouth of the River Esino, (ii) an area close to the Api refinery and (iii) Portonovo beach, a less impacted zone located along the coast of Mt. Conero. All samples were analyzed by Square-Wave Anodic-Stripping Voltammetry (SWASV). The results show that dissolved Pb content in coastal seawater diminished from an overall median value of 0.25 nmol/L in 2000–2001 to 0.12 nmol/L in 2003–2004, with a decrease of about 50% (statistically significant at 95% significance level). This decrease has been correlated to the concurrent decrease of lead consumption in gasoline in Italy which led to a reduction of ~ 65% Pb emissions into the atmosphere in the same period (r = 0.8791, p < 0.05).     

关于立体集约生态用海的案例借鉴与制度探索

随着海洋经济的发展,海域资源的开发从单一立体开发逐渐向多层立体开发转变,且开发的力度和密度不断加大,海洋生态环境面临着巨大压力。为缓解当前用海紧张与生态环境保护之间的矛盾,提高海域利用综合效益,亟须探索符合生态化、集约化、立体化和现代化的用海模式。在此背景下,“立体集约生态用海”的概念应运而生。文章通过列举国内外立体集约生态用海的典型案例,总结归纳其用海特点,对其未来的应用进行讨论。立体集约生态用海的出现将带来海域管理制度体系一系列的调整与改革,对中国未来走出一条海洋空间高质量发展与高水平保护的协同道路具有重要意义。     

渤海环境污染治理对策研究 ——以濑户内海为参考

渤海作为我国唯一的内海,自然资源极其丰富,渤海沿海地区有着浑厚的工业基础以及绝佳的地理优势,海洋经济发展速度十分迅猛。但随着经济的迅速发展,生态环境与开发利用之间的矛盾也日益激化,海洋资源开发强度高、利用方式粗放,陆源污染物排放总量久居不下,重点海湾环境质量未见根本好转,环境风险压力有增无减,生态环境整体形势依然严峻。文章介绍了渤海地区的发展现状,分析渤海与濑户内海的相同与不同之处,以便于借鉴日本濑户内海的治理措施以及立法经验,深刻剖析我国海洋环境保护立法的不足,并提出健全制度体系建设、完善海洋环境管理体制、调整渔业发展、提升海洋生态预警能力监测等建议,以期总结出适合我国渤海环境治理的海洋规划方案,从而挽救渤海的生态环境,恢复渤海往日的生机。