Science Group

Sea and Society

We pioneer innovative research approaches that support the effective and sustainable management of marine and coastal systems and activities. This is designed to increase the benefits provided to society by the sea while conserving and enhancing the environment.

The 'Sea and Society' group is committed to supporting sustainable and responsible ocean stewardship, improving the understanding and relationships which people have with the marine and coastal environment.

We investigate and demonstrate the consequences of the interactions between humans and natural systems. This includes the full breadth of marine and coastal ecosystem services - including food provision, carbon sequestration, flood and coastal erosion risk management, marine renewable energy, recreation, tourism, psychological restoration and connection to nature. In turn, we inform and develop effective measures to improve the outcomes, impacts and benefits of these interactions.

The group itself is uniquely comprised of those with expertise in economics, psychology, and social and ecological science, allowing for transformative societally-orientated marine research which is undertaken at local, regional, national and international levels.

Our main goals are to:

Evidence the interactions of human and marine systems, determining the key interactions and how we can quantify the associated linkages
Understand the ecological, economic, psychological and social implications of anthropogenic pressures and environmental change
Co-develop research with a range of stakeholders into how community and ecosystem resilience can be improved, determining the options for mitigation, adaptation, and transformation in response to global change, and how these can be influenced through acceptability, empowerment and behavioural change.
Pioneer economic and social opportunities, mechanisms and tools for sustainable environmental policy and management, defining how, where and when novel mechanisms such as Payment for Ecosystem Service schemes, green-blue financing, and nature-based solutions can be implemented
Analyse options and provide evidence for management and policy makers at local to global levels, supporting improved decision-making on the use and management of natural resources and marine space.

PML Project pages

Latest publications

Knights, AM; Lemasson, AJ; Firth, LB; Beaumont, NJ; Birchenough, S; Claisse, J; Coolen, JWP; Copping, A; De Dominicis, M; Degraer, S; Elliott, M; Fernandes, PG; Fowler, AM; Frost, MT; Henry, L-A; Hicks, N; Hyder, K; Jagerroos, S; Love, M; Lynam, CP; Macreadie, PI; McLean, D; Marlow, J; Mavraki, N; Montagna, PA; Paterson, DM; Perrow, MR; Porter, J; Bull, AS; Schratzberger, M; Shipley, B; van Elden, S; Vanaverbeke, J; Want, A; Watson, SCL; Wilding, TA; Somerfield, PJ; 2023. To what extent can decommissioning options for marine artificial structures move us toward environmental targets? . Journal of Environmental Management.
Edwards-Jones, A; Goh, HC; Lee, SL; Ruslan NFN, NFN; Lin, TL; Austen, MC; Then, AY; 2023. MALAYSIA AND SELANGOR MANGROVE POLICY MAPPING AND ANALYSIS . .
Botterell, ZLR; Lindeque, PK; Thompson, RC; Beaumont, NJ; 2023. An assessment of the ecosystem services of marine zooplankton and the key threats to their provision . Ecosystem Services.

Asante, F; Bento, M; Broszeit, S; Bandeira, S; Chitará-Nhandimo, S; Amoné-Mabuto, M; Correia, AM; 2023. Marine macroinvertebrate ecosystem services under changing conditions of seagrasses and mangroves . Marine Environmental Research.
Richter, I; Gabe-Thomas, E; Queiros, AM; Sheppard, SRJ; Pahl, S; 2022. Advancing the potential impact of future scenarios by integrating psychological principles . Environmental Science & Policy.
Lemasson, AJ; Somerfield, PJ; Schratzberger, M; McNeill, CL; Nunes, J; Pascoe, CK; Watson, SCL; Thompson, MSA; Couce, E; Knights, AM; 2022. Evidence for the effects of decommissioning man-made structures on marine ecosystems globally: a systematic map . Environmental Evidence.
Broszeit, S; Hattam, C; Langmead, O; Praptiwi, RA; Creencia, LA; Then, AY; Lim, VC; Hau, TD; Edwards-Jones, A; Austen, MC; 2022. Ecosystem service provision by marine habitats in Southeast Asia . .
Rendon, O; Edwards-Jones, A; Kieu, TK; Marcone, O; Broszeit, S; Beaumont, NJ; 2022. Characterisation of the inshore marine sectors of Da Nang, Vietnam . .
Omeyer, LCM; Duncan, EM; Aiemsomboon, K; Beaumont, NJ; Bureekul, S; Cao, B; Carrasco, LR; Chavanich, S; Clark, JR; Cordova, MR; Couceiro, F; Cragg, SM; Dickson, N; Failler, P; Ferraro, G; Fletcher, S; Fong, J; Ford, AT; Gutierrez, T; Shahul Hamid, F; Hiddink, JG; Hoa, PT; Holland, SI; Jones, L; Jones, NH; Koldewey, HJ; Lauro, FM; Lee, C; Lewis, M; Marks, D; Matallana-Surget, S; Mayorga-Adame, CG; McGeehan, J; Messer, LF; Michie, L; Miller, MA; Mohamad, ZF; Nor, NHM; Müller, M; Neill, SP; Nelms, SE; Onda, DFL; Ong, JJL; Pariatamby, A; Phang, SC; Quilliam, R; Robins, PE; Salta, M; Sartimbul, A; Shakuto, S; Skov, MW; Taboada, EB.; Todd, PA; Toh, TC; Valiyaveettil, S; Viyakarn, V; Wonnapinij, P; Wood, LE; Yong, CLX; Godley, BJ; 2022. Priorities to inform research on marine plastic pollution in Southeast Asia . Science of The Total Environment.
Watson, SCL; Watson, GJ; Beaumont, NJ; Preston, J; 2022. Inclusion of condition in natural capital assessments is critical to the implementation of marine nature-based solutions . Science of The Total Environment.