Oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and play an important role in providing food and livelihoods for over 3 billion people, while also helping to combat the effects of climate change. However, habitat destruction and ocean pollution threaten ocean communities and ecosystems globally. Action is needed to ensure the long-term health of the world’s seas and oceans. Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG-14): Life Below Water aims to achieve this through carefully implementing sustainable fishing practices, reducing pollution, and global efforts to protect ocean ecosystems for future generations.
This blog post highlights research from European Union-funded researchers, published on Open Research Europe, that works towards achieving SDG-14.
Addressing ocean planning challenges in a highly crowded sea space: a Case Study for the regional sea of Catalonia (Western Mediterranean)
The term “Blue Economy” refers to the economic activities associated with the ocean, seas, and coastal regions, which allow resource use while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. The coastal region of Catalonia (Spain, Western Mediterranean) belongs to the Mediterranean regions with the highest revenue in relation to Blue Economy. The Blue Economy in the region is estimated to have directly employed 214,496 people in 2017 (5.8% of the total employment in Catalonia) and generated €25 billion of revenue.
A study by researchers at the University of Girona explores the sustainability challenges for ocean planning in Catalonia’s regional seas using a maritime spatial planning geodatabase and multiple spatial models. This study finds that, while the area is highly protected, commercial fishing and aquaculture may cause significant conflicts in protected areas. The research then discusses five key challenges for regional ocean sustainability, such as the need for marine protection, the demand from other industries (e.g., offshore wind farms for sustainable energy), crowded coastal areas, multi-level governance, and gaps in Marine Spatial Planning knowledge.
Read the full Research Article here.
Mapping out the scenarios of ocean energy scale-up based on the development of offshore wind
Offshore renewable energy will majorly contribute to achieving net zero by 2050. Offshore energy is currently being led by wind energy. However, wave and tidal energy technologies are also advancing fast, and could be key for wave and tidal to become a significant energy source in the near future.
In a Research Article based on work funded by Horizon 2020, researchers modelled the potential growth of the wave and tidal energy sector over the next 30 years, using the uptake of offshore wind energy over the past three decades as a model. They concluded that achieving the European Commission’s 40GW target for marine energy is feasible if coastal countries within Europe implement supportive policies for wave and tidal technologies in the immediate future.
Read the full Research Article here.
Current practices in marine systematic conservation planning: protocol for a global scoping review
Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) is an approach to managing conservation that involves a series of steps to identify conservation areas and develop management strategies, incorporating feedback, revisions, and iterations at any stage. Adopting such an approach in coastal regions has been shown to contribute to the preservation of ecosystem health positively.
A Study Protocol from researchers based at the University of Naples Federico II outlines a protocol for a global scoping review to evaluate the effectiveness of SCP approaches in designing Marine Protected Area networks, while identifying best practices and highlighting potential knowledge gaps in the implementation of SCPs.
Read the full Study Protocol here.
Discover further research related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the Sustainable Development Community Gateway.
