Marine social and economic data review launched
01 February 2012
Robust and current data is needed urgently in the marine
environment where policy makers are dealing with a number of new
legislative requirements such as the Marine Strategy Framework
Directive, the development of Marine Spatial Plans and the
designation of new Marine Protected Areas.
In response to this, PML in collaboration with the Marine
Biological Association (MBA) and EMU Limited have been
commissioned to conduct a review of marine social and economic data
and tools.
The project is steered by the Marine Environmental Data &
Information Network (MEDIN), the Marine Management Organisation
(MMO), Marine Scotland, Defra and the Joint Nature Conservation
Committee (JNCC).
The study has three main aims:
1. To compile a catalogue of marine social and economic data
sources.
2. To review assessment and appraisal tools that could be used
to apply such data to decision-making.
3. To review current data management arrangements for marine
social and economic data.
The specific marine social and economic data themes to
be included in the study are:
- Data on financial value or economic activity associated with
uses of the sea such as Turnover, GVA, employment.
- Data on the economics of supply chains (i.e. for wind farms,
fisheries) and income distribution.
- Data on the geographic location of use and non-use values of
activity and inf
rastructure – both coastal and
marine.
- Data relating to the characteristics of coastal and linked
marine communities: employment, demographics, business base, health
and wellbeing data including access to recreational and leisure
facilities, wealth / deprivation indices, quality of life
indicators.
- Data for input to ecosystem services models such as services
provided by ecosystem types, value of services and changes in
wellbeing values.
The project is due to be completed on the 16th March. Over the
coming weeks the study team will be contacting relevant
organisations such as national and regional data providers,
non-governmental organisations and universities to fill knowledge
gaps regarding the tools and data available.