UN Ocean Decade endorses PML-led project driving climate-smart marine planning

It has been announced that the PML-led ‘Marine Spatial Planning Addressing Climate Effects’ (MSPACE) project has been endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade Programme, as an “Ocean Decade Action” – project forming part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030. Ocean Decade Actions are the tangible initiatives carried out across the globe over the course of the Decade to achieve “the science we need for the ocean we want”.  

MSPACE is designed to support ambitions of government policy, the industrial sector, and communities to ensure sustainable management of marine resources and improve the marine environment for the next generation. 

Led by PML and funded through the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) via the research programme Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources (SMMR), the project involves a wide range of partners bringing unique skills and expertise together to help sustainably manage the UK’s marine environment in a changing climate. 

Co-designed and co-delivered with UK policymakers and marine industries, the project focuses on conservation, fisheries, and aquaculture. It aims to develop economically-viable, socially-acceptable strategies, built on the identification of climate change refugia for specific sectors, and economic and social value of acting upon them through planning to help meet the specific needs of UK nations and regions.  

 MSPACE offers practical guidance for sustainable marine resource management, ensuring adaptability to future climate scenarios and stakeholder values. Partnerships across Europe and the UK overseas territories are expanding the use of the MSPACE tool kit across the world. 

Principal investigator Professor Ana M Queirós said: 

“We’re delighted to learn that our transdisciplinary MSPACE UK project addressing climate effects has been endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Action attached to “No.144. CoastPredict – Observing and Predicting the Global Coastal Ocean”. We are looking forward to supporting others in addressing climate, marine biodiversity, economic resilience and sustainable development through planning.” 

WATCH NOW: Introduction to the Marine Spatial Planning Addressing Climate Effects (MSPACE) Project 

PML’s Head of the International Office Professor Matt Frost commented: 

“This endorsement is a significant milestone for the MSPACE project and its mission to safeguard the future of the marine and coastal economy whilst also protecting marine ecosystems overall. MSPACE directly supports Decade Challenge 6, which focuses on increasing community resilience to ocean hazards and climate change.” 

MSPACE is a highly integrated, multidisciplinary project, co-developed between PML, University of Essex, University of Bradford, Heriot-Watt University, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Marine Scotland (Science), The Marine Biological Association, Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership, Marine Management Organisation, Natural Resources Wales, The Seaweed Alliance, National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, Ørsted and Aquamaps.