Advances in maritime spatial planning, under an ecosystem-based approach, by developing and implementing decision support tools

Abstract

Due to increasing competition for ocean space, there is a signifcant need for a coherent maritime management and planning. While achieving social and economic objectives, marine ecosystems should be protected by balancing human acitivities and their spatial distribution. In planning processes, development and implementation of decision support tools can assist planners, decision makers, industry and investors in order to implement eocsystem-based MSP.In this thesis, it has been aimed to characterise existing DSTs, capture and analyse DST end-user perceptions; to perform an example of the implementation of a DST by developing a model thar integrates most relevant economic, environmental and social components to identify feasible areas and future scenarios for offshore wind farms; and finally to identify the key issues and challengues in order to raise recommendations for a transboundary EB-MSP in the Bay of Biscay.The findings of this thesis can help researchers to better understand the links between DSTs and MSP processes and to contribute to MSP processes with required tools.