The demand for use of the marine environment and coastal areas has never been greater. With ambitious targets for the development of marine renewable energy, marine protected areas and interactive marine activities, marine planning has risen to the top of the policy agenda. Combining data capture and effective engagement is particularly important for coastal stakeholders who operate at regional or local scales where data is poorly spatially resolved.
Dr Tavis Potts from the School of Geosciences recently led the project ‘Supporting Marine Spatial Planning with Local Socio-Economic Data (MSP-LED)’. The project was funded by the Scottish Government’s Centre for Expertise in Water (CREW) and developed a method for local scale data collection and engagement, which was tested through a series of regional workshops to support planning activities.
The full report is available from: http://www.crew.ac.uk/publications/supporting-marine-spatial-planning-local-socio-economic-data