MSP Research Network

Thomas studied geology and geochemistry at the University of Münster (Germany) where he was awarded a doctoral degree in 1988. He joined the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) of the Univ. Oldenburg as a PostDoc where he became researcher and lecturer later. From 2010 until 2022, he was managing co-ordinator of the interfaculty Centre for Environment and Sustainability Research (COAST) of the Univ. of Oldenburg. He retired in autumn 2022.

Thomas´ research interests are on marine and coastal management, transdisciplinary action for sustainable development as well as international approaches to interdisciplinary higher education incl. development cooperation. This work is related to more than 20 national and international projects Thomas was involved in as lead beneficiary or partner. The regional focus is on northern European Sea basins, the Carribean and the the eastern coasts of Sub-Sahara Africa.

He was visiting lecturer for coastal and marine management at universities in St Petersburg, Russia, Stavanger, Norway, Cádiz, Spain, Nantes, France and Faro, Portugal.

From 1998 to 2002, Thomas was Chairman of the Working Group Integrated Coastal Zone Management - European Geophysical Society. He was member of the Coordination Team of the Marine Spatial Management Research Network from 2012 to 2022.

Prior to retirement 

Double Degree Master´s Programme Water and Coastal Management (Univ. of Oldenburg, Germany, and Univ. of Groningen, the Netherlands)

• Coastal Zone Management and Marine Spatial Planning (lecture, seminar, practical course)
• MSP Road Show (international excursion)
• Europeanising Coastal Regions (seminar)
• European Virtual Seminar on Sustainable Development (online-seminar)

 Shaping the MSP higher education landscape

• Harmonisation and interinstitutional collaboration in MSP
• Involvement of practitioners in higher education
• Modern didactics - concepts and tools
• Game-based higher education

Topics of my particular interest

Mindsets and decision making of marine spatial planners

Social-ecological frameworks for MSP practices

Promoting maritime multi-uses including blue bio-economy via MSP

JAY, S., KLENKE, Th., AHLHORN, F. & RITCHIE, H. (2012): Early European Experience in Marine Spatial Planning: Planning the German Exclusive Economic Zone. - European Planning Studies, 20(12): 2013-2031 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2012.722915.

 JAY, S., KLENKE, Th. & JANßEN, H. (2016): Consensus and variance in the ecosystem approach to marine spatial planning: German perspectives and multi-actor implications. - Land Use Policy, 54: 129-138; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.02.015

VOGEL, C., RIPKEN, M. & KLENKE, Th. (2018): Linking Marine Ecosystem Services to the North Sea’s Energy Fields in Transnational Marine Spatial Planning. - Environments, 2018 5(6): 67-80; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5060067

RIPKEN, M., KEIJSER, X., KLENKE, Th. & MAYER, I. (2018): The ‘Living Q’ – An Interactive Method for Actor Engagement in Transnational Marine Spatial Planning. - Environments, 2018 5(6): 87-97; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5080087

CUADRADO QUESADA, G., KLENKE, Th. & MEJIA ORTIZ, L.M. (2018): Regulatory Challenges in Realizing Integrated Coastal Management—Lessons from Germany, Costa Rica, Mexico and South Africa. - Sustainability, 2018, 10(10), 3772; doi:10.3390/su10103772