Public perceptions of sharks: Gathering support for shark conservation

With increasing evidence of the destructive impacts of human activities on the ocean there is a growing call for stronger public engagement in marine governance. An understanding of marine issues and pro-environmental values are key elements that influence an individual[U+05F3]s engagement in conservation and pro-environmental behaviour. This paper presents a study on public perceptions of sharks and shark conservation in the UK. The study investigated knowledge of and attitudes towards sharks of a group of individuals with a clear interest in the marine environment, as well as possible factors that might influence their perceptions of sharks, in order to make recommendations on how to foster engagement in shark conservation. The key finding was that important prerequisites for engagement in shark conservation exist among parts of the UK public. However, this does not seem to be enough to motivate actual engagement. The study discusses a number of specific challenges with regard to sharks which might be influencing the way in which society connects to shark related issues. It concludes with priority recommendations for further investigation into potential catalysts for public engagement in shark conservation. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Marine governance in the English Channel (La Manche): Linking science and management.

The English Channel is one of the world's busiest sea areas with intense shipping and port activity juxtaposed with recreation, communications and important conservation areas. Opportunities for marine renewable energy vie with existing activities for space. The current governance of the English Channel is reviewed and found to lack integration between countries, sectors, legislation and scientific research. Recent developments within the EU's marine management frameworks are significantly altering our approach to marine governance and this paper explores the implications of these new approaches to management of the English Channel. Existing mechanisms for cross-Channel science and potential benefits of an English Channel scale perspective are considered. In conclusion, current management practices are considered against the 12 Malawi Principles of the ecosystem approach resulting in proposals for enhancing governance of the region through science at the scale of the English Channel

Using ecosystem service assessments to support participatory marine spatial planning

International audienceWith growing interest in ocean uses for sustainable economic development, there is an increasing need for cross-sectoral marine spatial planning to balance different resource uses and conservation requirements. Ecosystem service assessments can provide the evidence to inform marine spatial planning decisions. Existing case studies suggest that these assessments can also have positive effects on the engagement of marine stakeholders in management and planning processes. Stakeholder engagement is a central element in marine spatial planning and other area-based management approaches. However, in a marine context, engagement is often difficult due to the lack of clear boundaries in the ocean, traditionally sectoral marine management and limited understanding of marine ecosystems. The study presented here investigated ecosystem service assessments as a tool for improving marine stakeholder engagement. Stakeholder experiences with ecosystem service assessments in six marine management and planning case studies were analysed to identify why, how and under what conditions ecosystem service assessments can support effective engagement. The findings show that under the right conditions, ecosystem service assessments can provide an inclusive and integrative platform for engagement, enable a better understanding of marine ecosystems, human-ecosystem interactions and management contexts, and support better stakeholder relationships. Stakeholder participation also improves the evidence base for ecosystem service assessments. Thus, involving stakeholders in ecosystem service assessments can improve marine spatial planning decisions and lead to better management and conservation outcomes for the ocean

Education and training for maritime spatial planners

The practice of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) has developed substantially during the last decade, calling for more qualified professionals. Education, training, and growth capacity for MSP, however, are (still) some of the less addressed themes in MSP forums and specific learning materials, such as textbooks and practice manuals. Some teaching initiatives have nevertheless arisen at the postgraduate level for training new and specialised practitioners in the MSP field. A quick overview of such initiatives will help answer some questions concerning the path to follow for MSP education and training. This chapter presents an exploratory diagnosis based on a discussion of the basic skills needed to achieve successful professional practice. What skills are expected from a maritime spatial planner? Is a specific background required to become a maritime spatial planner? How should such professionals be trained? These questions are discussed using the visions and insights of consultants, maritime sectors, policymakers, scientists, and teachers of MSP, with experience in countries where MSP processes are already in place

Inter-regional coherence: Can Northeast Atlantic pelagic habitat indicators be applied to the Arctic?

As part of its commitment to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) OSPAR has developed three plankton indicators of Good Environmental Status (GES) for pelagic habitats in the Northeast Atlantic. In coming years, implementation of the MSFD will extend into the Arctic, requiring the application of pelagic habitat indicators in the region. Because plankton communities and monitoring effort are spatially variable, applicability to the Arctic of existing indicators must be assessed. A meta-analysis is applied to the Northeast Atlantic pelagic habitat indicators to establish their ecological applicability and relevance to Arctic marine ecosystems and their implementability using existing national monitoring effort. To identify gaps and potential improvements in the OSPAR indicators, two gap analyses were conducted. The first considered the Northeast Atlantic OSPAR-adopted indicators and existing plankton indicators currently employed by Arctic nations. The second assessed the minimum data attributes required to implement existing OSPAR indicators compared to existing national plankton monitoring effort by OSPAR Arctic contracting parties. Existing Northeast Atlantic pelagic habitat indicators were found to be ecologically applicable to the Arctic, primarily due to flexibility of the plankton lifeforms and biodiversity indices indicators, that allow selection of regionally relevant lifeform pairs or species for assessment. However, current national monitoring programmes were found insufficient to support their implementation. Additional regionally-specific indicators, such as for sympagic phytoplankton and sea-ice biota, are worthy of consideration. Budgetary constraints and a lack of year-round sampling and long-term datasets were found to be key limitations in the implementation of plankton indicators for establishing GES