Welcome to the marine planning website

Competition for space among different human activities in the marine area and greater scientific understanding of the effects of such activities on marine ecosystem health are forcing marine managers to develop new solutions for the sustainable management of our seas. Marine spatial planning (marine planning) as part of an overall system of marine management is one of the big new ideas that is being implemented in many nations’ seas around the world.

This website is dedicated to highlighting research into marine planning practice and learning from relevant experiences, structured around a number of key themes. It also provides a forum for the exchange of information between marine planning researchers and practitioners.

We welcome all viewers to this site. We invite you to contribute to our discussion forum on any marine planning theme or to share your practical experience of any relevant initiative that you have been involved with. While the site is largely and unashamedly focused on UK experience, we know there is much we can learn from others and would welcome international contributions.