Marine spatial planning is a tool described as a progression from the traditional single sector management approach used to operate coastal zones[1]. Traditional management approach relies on sectoral planning, dependent on the exploitation of living and non-living resources such as fishing and aquaculture, offshore wind energy, shipping etc. On the contrary, marine spatial planning aims to combine ecological, economic, and social objectives to create a comprehensive management plan or vision for a marine region[2].
The benefits of marine spatial planning can be objectified through many examples that would benefit both the sector and the environment. The ecological aspect of marine spatial planning shows through identification of biologically and ecologically important areas, and identification and reduction of conflicts between human use and nature. The ecological aspect is also important for establishing context for planning a network of marine protected areas. The economic benefits could include reduction of conflicts between incompatible uses, promotion of the efficient use of resources and space, and identification of compatible uses within the same area of development whereas some of the social benefits could be improved opportunities for community and citizen participation and identification and improved protection of cultural heritage and so on[3].
Marine spatial planning has been deemed necessary by the virtue of ocean resources being finite both in space and amount. As a result of the ongoing population growth, technological developments and active consumer demand, an increasingly larger share of goods and services is required from the coastal and marine resources. This situation increases the pressure on the marine environment and raises two important types of conflict. The first is the compatibility of usages on the marine zone and competition for ocean space, also known as the “user vs user conflicts”. The second issue is known as the issues between the user and the environment, the cumulative impact of all the activities run on the coastal and marine zones on the marine environment[4].
All the aforementioned issues on limited resources and marine ecology resulted in the shift towards a more holistic ecosystem approach that calls for a comprehensive look at all dimensions of environmental problems[5]. Marine spatial planning is a strategy integrating management of water and living resources and promoting conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way[6]. It unites management of human activities based on the best scientific knowledge available about the ecosystem and the dynamics of it and identifies critical points of the health of the marine ecosystems. Marine spatial planning is often described as a continuous and interactive process, and one that needs the of “multiple actors and stakeholders at various governmental and societal levels”[7]. Coastal zone management was first intended to cover the coastal plain to the edge of the continental shelf, once described as the “the area of land affected by sea and the area of the sea affected by land.” Marine spatial planning focuses on the human use of marine spaces and that is why it is the missing part of the coastal zone management that could truly integrate marine ecosystems to planning process[8].
To understand marine spatial planning further, some helpful terms need to be learned in regards to how a coastal zone can be managed. These could be, including, but not limited to:
- Ecosystem-Based Management: An ecosystem-based management is defined as an integrated approach that works to incorporate the entire ecosystem, including humans, into the decisions on resource management. This management type is guided by an adaptive management approach. Ecosystem-based management is a stepwise process that is aimed to move towards a holistic management[9]. Ecosystem-based management is place-based, and it focuses on a specific ecosystem rather than the management zone as a whole[10].
- Sea Use Management: A zone management through sea use is the comprehensive integrated management of human activities based on the current scientific knowledge available about the ecosystem and its dynamics that works towards the identification of the key aspects of the health of the marine ecosystems[11]. Sea-use management is defined by its goal to maintain sustainable development and not just conservation[12].
- Marine Spatial Planning: Marine spatial planning is a public process of analyzing and distributing of human activities in marine areas to reach a set of ecological, economic and social objectives. Marine spatial planning is an element of sea use management[13].
- Ocean Zoning: Ocean zoning is a big picture approach to ocean management that divides areas for various ocean uses. Marine protected areas, fishing and shipping areas, recreation areas can be a type of zone under this management system. Ocean zoning is science-based, stakeholder-driven and aims to reach a balance between economic, environmental, security, social and cultural interests[14].
A Guide to marine spatial planning prepared by UNESCO describes the planning process in 10 steps that are not moving sequentially from step to step but rather in loops built into the process. These steps are:
- Identifying need and establishing authority,
The outputs expected from this step are to create a preliminary list of specific problems that are aimed to be solved through marine spatial planning and assessing the authority needed to develop the plan. This step is identified in 2 tasks according to these objectives and the goal is to keep the plans efforts focuses throughout the process.
While establishing the appropriate authority for marine spatial planning, it is highlighted to consider the two types of authorities that is required for the process: one to plan and one to implement the plan. This step is at utmost importance for it is to guarantee if the output is enforceable.
- Obtaining financial support,
A financial plan is expected to be reached in this stage to estimate the costs of the activities of marine spatial planning and to identify the alternative funding mechanisms for said activities. The scope of the financing mechanism should be based on the activities planned for the area. This step not just considers the financial aspects but also the legal, administrative, social, political and, environmental objectives.
- Organizing the process through pre-planning,
Marine spatial planning, in this guide, takes an “objective-based approach” and is expected to reach a hierarchy of goals. In this stage, it is expected to organize a team with the desired skills, create a work plan that identifies the products and resources required for the timely outputs, define boundaries and the time frame for analysis and management, create a set of principles to guide development of the plan and, create a set of goals and objectives for the management area.
- Organizing stakeholder participation,
Organizing stakeholder participation is an indicator to when and how to involve stakeholders, as well as who to involve as stakeholders throughout the process. It is important to include stakeholders in the planning process since marine spatial planning should be able to reflect expectations, opportunities and conflicts occurring in the area. This step is important to assess the mutual and shared use of the management area.
- Defining and analyzing existing conditions,
Mainly, 4 outputs are expected from this step:
- An inventory and maps of important biological and ecological areas in the management zone,
- An inventory and maps of current known human activities and pressures in the management zone,
- An assessment of possible conflicts and compatibilities among existing human activities in the management zone,
- An assessment of possible conflicts and compatibilities among existing human uses and the environment.
It is important to identify and compile the useful, up-to-date and reliable data thus why this step should be operated in the most time and cost efficient way possible. While planning for marine spatial management, the relative importance of different sources and sources of problems shall be assessed accordingly to provide efficiency.
- Defining and analyzing future conditions,
This step is to not only assess the future conditions but also gain understanding on the existing ones and reaching a trend scenario illustrating how the area will look if present conditions continue without new management interventions, an alternative spatial use scenario illustrating how the management area might look when human activities are redistributed based on new goals and objectives, a preferred scenario that provides the basis for identifying and selecting management measures in the spatial management plan.
The purpose of this phase is to answer the simple question of what is core set of goals and objectives about the future of the zone is. Projecting and estimating the future conditions for the zone through a step-by-step approach helps to envision the final goal aimed with the management plan.
- Preparing and approving the spatial management plan,
An identification and evaluation of alterative management measures for the spatial management plan is expected to be reached in this stage. The criteria for selection of the alternative managements measures and a comprehensive management plan, including a zoning plan if needed, are the outputs that identify this step. The plan should be a policy statement by the responsible authority or authorities and it should present the key aspects of the sectoral policies that is foreseen for the zone.
- Implementing and enforcing the spatial management plan,
A clear outline of the necessary actions needed to implement, ensure compliance with, and the ways to enforce the management plan should be the main aspect of this step. After the steps aforementioned have been completed, the planning stage of the preparation of the marine spatial planning shall be done. The plan should be ready for the action step of the practice: the implementation of the plan. Implementation is the step which the marine spatial plan is being operated by the authorities. The authorities can be sectoral bodies or levels of government.
- Monitoring and evaluating performance,
To ensure the plan is sustainable, this step monitors the performance via a monitoring system to be created for the zone. It is important to gather data on the performance of marine spatial management measures to use for evaluation and create periodic reports for the decision makers, public and authorities to assess and decide on the future of the plan. Monitoring is a continuous activity of systematic collection of data to analyze and develop a performance monitoring system. A good system should be based on well-accepted scientific theory, responsive, specific and cost effective.
- Adapting the marine spatial management process.
The adaptation process is the step which the management goals, objectives, outcomes and strategies are put together for the next round of planning. Adaptive management is, as simply put, learning by doing; improving management through the monitoring and evaluating steps. Although it is rarely implemented, reporting the success and failures of the agenda is an important step to continue developing the planning practice.[15]
[1] L Buhl-Mortensen et al, ‘Maritime Ecosystem-Based Management in Practice: Lessons Learned from the Application of a Generic Spatial Planning Framework in Europe’ (2017) 75 Marine Policy 174–186 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.01.024> s.e.t. 7 Ekim 2025.
[2] F Maes, ‘The International Legal Framework for Marine Spatial Planning’ (2008) 32 Marine Policy 797.
[3] C Ehler and F Douvere, Marine Spatial Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach toward Ecosystem-Based Management (IOC UNESCO, 2009).
[4] F Douvere and CN Ehler, ‘New Perspectives on Sea Use Management: Initial Findings from European Experience with Marine Spatial Planning’ (2009) 90 Journal of Environmental Management 77.
[5] D Laffoley et al, The Ecosystem Approach: Coherent Actions for Marine and Coastal Environments. A Report to the UK Government(English Nature, 2004).
[6] Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management (IMCAM) Approaches for Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD Technical Series No 14, Montreal, 2004).
[7] E Olsen et al, ‘Integration at the Round Table: Marine Spatial Planning in Multi-Stakeholder Settings’ (2014) 9 PLoS ONE e109964.
[8] C Ehler and F Douvere, Marine Spatial Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach toward Ecosystem-Based Management (IOC UNESCO, 2009).
[9] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ‘Ecosystem-Based Management (Integrated Ecosystem Assessment)’ <https://www.integratedecosystemassessment.noaa.gov/about-iea/ecosystem-based-management#:~:text=Ecosystem%2DBased%20Management%20is%20defined,by%20an%20adaptive%20management%20approach> accessed 6 October 2025.
[10] C Ehler and F Douvere, Marine Spatial Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach toward Ecosystem-Based Management (IOC UNESCO, 2009).
[11] OSPAR–HELCOM, Statement on the Ecosystem Approach to the Management of Human Activities (First Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki and OSPAR Commissions, Bremen, 25–26 June 2003).
[12] F Douvere and CN Ehler, ‘New Perspectives on Sea Use Management: Initial Findings from European Experience with Marine Spatial Planning’ (2009) 90 Journal of Environmental Management 77.
[13] C Ehler and F Douvere, Marine Spatial Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach toward Ecosystem-Based Management (IOC UNESCO, 2009).
[14] Waitt Institute, The Case for Ocean Zoning (2015) <http://waittinstitute.org/factsheets> accessed 7 October 2025.
[15] C Ehler and F Douvere, Marine Spatial Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach toward Ecosystem-Based Management (IOC UNESCO, 2009).