MSP Research Network

Welcome to the first MSPRN E-Newsletter!

About MSPRN

The Marine Spatial Planning Research Network is a diverse group of scientists, policy-makers and practitioners engaged in the constructive development of MSP through critical thinking, teaching, research, consultancy and implementation. We bring together academic expertise from across the social and natural sciences, such as marine ecology, terrestrial planning, geography, and political science, working alongside practitioners, consultancies and policy-makers. We are an informal network open to new participants who share our overall aims and encourage early-career researchers to join us. For more information please visit our website.

1. New MSP projects

• MSP4BIO (HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-12, 2022-2025), coord. S.Pro. Start in Sept. 2022.
• eMSP NBSR project brings together maritime spatial planners and stakeholders from North and Baltic Seas: The Emerging ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning topics in North and Baltic Seas Regions (eMSP NBSR) project aims to enable maritime spatial planners, managing authorities and policymakers to reflect on current maritime spatial planning practices, to learn effectively from each other, and to collectively identify problems and solutions. Five emerging MSP topics have been identified and the European Green Deal is considered cross-cutting theme for the whole project. eMSP NBSR builds upon Community of Practice model creating forums to discuss MSP developments and Science Policy Interface providing up-to-date knowledge input and facilitating a structured process for sharing and learning.
  How to be involved? Join one of the Communities of Practice! Join Scientific Advisory Board! Follow project activities on website, twitter, Linkedin!

2. Upcoming and recent MSP events

• MUD Conference, 2-3. June 2022: https://www.buas.nl/samenwerken/conference-mud
• Knowledge Flows in MSP (Erasmus+ project) Spring School 2022: https://www.msp-education.eu/spring-school-2022-oldenburg
• 2021 Training Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning Technology, Sep 5-14, 2021, Tianjin, China.
• 2021 APEC Training Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning based on Ecosystem Services, Dec 13-15, 2021, Xiamen, China.

3. New MSP publications (from MSPRN members)

Double Special Issue of Planning Practice and Research: Walsh, C., Sielker, F., Smith, G. & Crawford, J. (eds.) (2022) Planning for Sea Spaces I: Processes, Practices and Future Perspectives, Planning Practice and Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2022.2046362

The first special includes the following papers:

1. Stephen Jay: Experiencing the Sea: Marine Planners’ Tentative Engagement with Their Planning Milieu, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2021.2001149
2. Matthew Howells & Paulina Ramirez-Monsalve: Maritime Spatial Planning on Land? Planning for Land-Sea Interaction Conflicts in the Danish Context, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2021.1991656
3. Glen Smith et al: Policy Coherence for Climate Change Adaptation at the Land-Sea Interface in Ireland, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2021.1991657
4. Maggie Yet et al: Learning from Experience: Lessons from Community-based Engagement for Improving Participatory Marine Spatial Planning, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2021.2017101
5. Ralph Tafon et al: Oceans of Conflict: Pathways to an Ocean Sustainability PACT, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2021.1918880

The second special issue will include the following papers:

• Tissière, L., & Trouillet, B. What participation means in marine spatial planning systems? Lessons from the French case. https://doi.org/10.1080/026972022.2027638
• Nancy Couling: Imagining the Invisible: Spatial Design for the North Sea, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2022.2026679
• John Moodie & Franziska Sielker: Transboundary Marine Spatial Planning in European Sea Basins: Experimenting with Collaborative Planning and Governance, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2021.2015855
• Juliette Kon Kam King & Lea Riera: The ‘Right Place’ for Sharks in the South Pacific: Marine Spatial Planning in a More-Than-Human Ocean, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2022.2035918

Other Recently Published Papers:

• Pikner, T. et al (2022) Sociocultural Dimension of Land–Sea Interactions in Maritime Spatial Planning: Three Case Studies in the Baltic Sea Region, Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042194.
• Gerhardinger, L.C.; Holzkamper, E.; Andrade, M.M. ; Corrêa, M.R.; Turra, A. 2022. Envisioning ocean governability transformations through network-based marine spatial planning. Maritime Studies, p. 131-152,https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40152-021-00250-1 
• Calado, H., Frias, Martins, A. & Vergilo, M. (2021) GPSAzores- The Future (of Atlantic) MSP - AÇOREANA, 2021, XI(3) https://www.gpsazores.com/media/GPS-Azores_The_future_of_Atlantic_MSP.pdf
• Stojanovic, T.A. Withouck, I. (2021) Key Issues in Marine Governance.  Report of the MASTS Marine Planning and Governance workshop, 27-28 September 2021, Crieff.  MASTS.  https://masts.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MASTSMPG21_KeyChallengesMarineGovernance_FinalReport.pdf
• Slater, A-M. (2021).Passport to the oceans of the future: delivering marine energy with science linked to policy. Published by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS). 23pp. https://doi.org/10.15664/10023.23980
• Shucksmith, R., Stojanovic, T., Slater A.M., Withouck, I., Allan, K (2020) Using marine planning to balance competing demands on the marine environment: International comparisons MASTS report to ECCLR committee, Scottish Parliament. 60pp.

4. Training and Capacity Building

• The Blue Capacity Hub facilitates the use of the open-source training courses developed by the Blue Solutions initiative: Blue Planning in Practice (Marine Spatial Planning), Sustainable Blue Economy and Blue Leadership. These trainings aim to enhance the capacities of decision makers and practitioners to overcome competing interests and uncoordinated sectoral approaches in the marine space. The courses share highly participatory learning methods which convey theory with practical exercises and reflection. More info at https://news.grida.no/the-blue-capacity-hub. Visit bluecapacityhub.info/ and get in touch at info@bluecapacityhub.info. 
• In Scotland, the MASTS Marine Planning and Governance forum is an interdisciplinary forum for marine professionals and academics to come together to share research and address real world questions.  Late last year a group gathered together for an interactive workshop on ‘Key Issues in Marine Governance’.  The key issues debated were: What does the next cycle of marine planning in Scotland need to focus on? A Just Transition for a Blue Economy? And, What are the opportunities for governing Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction?” with talks by keynote speakers and respondents, summarised in this report.  The final section of the report details 36 active marine projects in Scotland from a range of stakeholders.

5. Successfully completed PhD and Master theses

• Legé, R. (2021) La mer néolibérale. Approche géographique de la Planification spatiale marine à travers la démarche française en Manche - mer du Nord. PhD Thesis, University of Nantes, December.
• Day, J.C. (2020) Ensuring effective and transformative policy reform: lessons from rezoning Australia's Great Barrier Reef, 1999-2004. PhD thesis, James Cook University, available at: https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/67706/.

6. New appointments / change of positions

N/A

Note: the items in this newsletter are based on the information provided by members of the MSPRN network. As such, it will it is inevitably selective and partial in its coverage.

Newsletter prepared by Cormac Walsh on behalf of the MSPRN Steering Group, 23.03.2022.