Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is coming to prominence as a new approach to the governance of the seas and oceans. It is taking on international importance as maritime nations exert greater control over their territorial waters and, in many cases, over much more extensive exclusive economic zones (Jay, 2010; Schaefer & Barale, 2011). This is in the interests of reversing the environmental degradation of the seas and facilitating the sustainable use of marine resources, both for traditional uses, such as fishing and navigation, and newer uses, such as renewable energy and mariculture (Douvere, 2008). MSP is being encouraged worldwide by inter-governmental bodies, NGOs, stakeholder organisations and marine scientists and managers (Agardy, 2010; De Santo, 2011; HELCOM & OSPAR, 2003), and a growing number of nations are drawing up spatial plans to regulate the use of their marine territories, in a way analogous to land-use planning
