abstract:Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a process that brings together multiple users of the ocean – including energy, industry, government, conservation and recreation – to make informed and coordinated decisions about how to use marine resources sustainably. MSP generally uses maps to create a more comprehensive picture of a marine area – identifying where and how an ocean area is being used and what natural resources and habitat exist.
UNESCO-IOC is providing scientific and technical advice to Member States to support their marinespatialplanning efforts and to define Ecologically or Biologically Significant marine Areas (EBSAs).