It Is a Balancing Act: The Interface of Scientific Evidence and Policy in Support of Effective Marine Environmental Management

Sustainability

Leila Fonseca¹  Andrew B. Gill¹  Sylvia Blake¹  Karema Randall¹  Holly Buckley¹  Adrian Judd¹  Charlotte Clarke¹  Daniel Wood¹  Silvana N. R. Birchenough¹  Joe Perry¹  Jemma-Anne Lonsdale¹  Freya Goodsir¹  Andrew Griffith¹  Rachel Mulholland¹  Khatija Alliji²  Nathan Edmonds³  Stacey Clarke³ 

[1] Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, UK;MarineSpace, 8 Thorpe Road, Norwich NR1 1RY, UK;The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR, UK;

关键词: marine management;    evidence/science policy interface;    UK;    marine planning;    advice;    assessment;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su14031650

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The marine environment is a complex system, and with growing human demand, the sustainable use of multiple marine resources is continually challenged. The increasing complexity of overlapping marine activities causes pressures on the environment. Here, we review the fundamental aspects for effective marine management, particularly the role of science and scientific evidence to inform marine policy and decision making. The outcomes of internal expert workshops were used to analyse currently applied marine management practices in the UK using four marine sectors in English waters based on the expertise: environmental impact assessments; dredge and disposal operations; marine protected areas; and offshore renewable energy. Strengths, weaknesses, and commonalities between these sectors were assessed in terms of their effectiveness for marine management. Finally, we make recommendations based on the outputs to better inform effective yet sustainable marine management. The importance of increasing accessibility to data, hypothesis-driven environmental monitoring, streamlining funding opportunities and ensuring effective dissemination of data to ensure scientific outcomes and achieve increased robustness of assessments is emphasised. We also recommend that assessment drivers align with the outputs and approaches should be holistic and engage with the public to ensure a shared understanding and vision.

【 授权许可】

Unknown