Addressing the Challenges
Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is designed to follow an Ecosystem-Based Approach (EBA), ensuring marine ecosystem health and sustainability. In practice, however, MSP often remains sector-driven, with limited integration of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and area-based conservation measures. Challenges include unclear biodiversity criteria, weak policy coherence, and limited understanding of human–ecosystem interactions.
The MSP4BIO Approach: Innovative Solutions for Nature-Inclusive MSP
To close these gaps, MSP4BIO developed and tested an innovative Ecological and Socio-Economic (ESE) management framework in close collaboration with stakeholders. This flexible, integrated approach enhances biodiversity integration in MSP and sectoral planning, adapting to the rapid changes in marine ecosystems.
Unlike existing practices, the ESE framework provides tailored solutions balancing conservation and socio-economic objectives across MSP4BIO’s six test sites (D5.3). The project also examined the social impacts of MSP-MPA integration through its Communities of Practice (CoPs), ensuring management strategies reflect stakeholder perspectives. As a result, strategic solutions were developed that align MPAs and MSP while improving sectoral coordination.
Operating across local, national, cross-border, and sea basin levels, MSP4BIO contributed to identifying ecological corridors, MPA networks, and Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs), adapted to varying governance contexts. This process strengthened capacities and motivation for biodiversity planning, supported by CoPs through participatory mapping, gap analyses, trade-off discussions, and Decision Support Tools such as PlanWise4Blue, the Area-based Conservation Planner, and the ESE online platform (D5.1, D5.2, D5.3, D5.4).
How MSP Supports Sustainable Biodiversity
MSP offers a strategic framework to embed biodiversity conservation into marine governance, aligning national priorities with global biodiversity goals such as the CBD post-2020, European Green Deal (EGD), and European Ocean Pact (EOP). Its contributions include:
- Ecosystem-Based Approach: Incorporates cumulative impact assessments, integrates science and stakeholder input, and fosters climate resilience while supporting the Blue Economy.
- Zoning and Prioritization: Identifies critical habitats for protection and guides MPA designation to safeguard biodiversity from sectoral pressures.
- Conflict Reduction & Synergies: Organizes marine activities spatially, reducing overlaps and promoting multi-use solutions.
- Integrated and Adaptive Management: Uses continuous monitoring and data integration to ensure development remains ecologically sound.
- Climate Change Adaptation: Protects resilient ecosystems, supporting biodiversity under changing environmental conditions.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Involves local communities, scientists, and citizens in decision-making to balance diverse marine uses.
- Cross-Sectoral and Transboundary Collaboration: Coordinates across sectors and jurisdictions, essential for shared ecosystems and migratory species.
- Decision Support Tools: Combines biological, ecological, and socio-economic data for evidence-based, adaptive planning via platforms like MSP4BIO’s ESE tool.
Looking Forward
The upcoming revision of national MSP plans will be better equipped to integrate biodiversity objectives. Within the EU, these revisions will support biodiversity targets set by the EGD, the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 (EUBS), and the EOP.
As ecosystem-based MSP becomes standard practice and coordination between MSP and MPA processes improves, biodiversity conservation will be more effective—while delivering economic and societal benefits through the sustainable use of marine resources.
