MarinePlan

MarinePlan tackles the urgent need to protect marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning while enabling sustainable use of marine resources. In Europe, Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is the key governance tool for balancing conservation and exploitation—but it requires better integration with marine protected area (MPA) designation and transboundary coordination.

MarinePlan will co-develop a Decision Support System (DSS) for ecosystem-based MSP (EB-MSP), working closely with stakeholders. The DSS will be supported by best practice guidance and operational criteria for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs).

These tools will help allocate conservation and restoration zones across complex sea areas with multiple uses, while accounting for climate change impacts. The DSS will be applied and validated at eight planning sites, ranging from coastal zones to deep-sea environments and from local to transboundary scales.

MarinePlan will test realistic planning scenarios and provide policy recommendations aligned with the EU Biodiversity Strategy. Results will be communicated across sectors and governance levels—from local to European—ensuring knowledge transfer to diverse socio-ecological contexts.

By strengthening the natural and social science base, MarinePlan supports coherent environmental policymaking and streamlined planning for marine industries.