Marine spatial planning brings together multiple users of the ocean to make informed and coordinated decisions about how to use marine resources sustainably. In order for sound decisions to be made they need to be based upon robust scientific evidence that considers all aspects and users of the marine environment.
Millions of people across the globe rely on marine and coastal ecosystems for food, employment and their general well-being. However, the marine environment is under immense pressure from the multiple, and often conflicting, needs of the people that use it. Marine spatial planning considers all the potential users of the marine environment and the consequences of their actions in order to utilise marine resources in a coordinated and sustainable manner.
We support marine spatial planning through a wide range of activities, from understanding where living resources such as fished species are and where they will be in the future; by understanding the resilience of the distribution of these resources to environmental and climate change; by evaluating ecosystem services and benefits and the social impacts of marine activities; by use of Earth Observation; and by modelling the impacts of engineering works on the marine environment. In this way, we help identify key areas requiring co-location of uses and their management, such as providing advice on the positioning of important areas for Marine Conservation and renewable energy infrastructure.
Making a difference
PML constantly strives to produce and distribute high quality data to inform policy and management decisions and promote sustainable development of the marine environment, to enable marine resources to be utilised in a responsible manner to preserve the health of marine ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.