Research plans

Focusing on coastal and marine social-ecological systems and marine spatial planning (MSP), I will combine field-based studies, systematic reviewing and in-depth interviews to critically explore conditions facilitating or hindering social-ecological integration at global, European and national scales and enhance benefits of using integrative approaches. Two impactful case-studies (small-scale fisheries in São Tomé and Príncipe and Mozambique) will allow me to undertake a comprehensive analysis of these issues and their implications for marine biodiversity and human wellbeing, including socio-economic and gender aspects. 

Combining analyses at the global, European and national levels, I will:
  1. Characterise key integrative approaches adopted in MSP projects worldwide and their application, and usefulness, to guide implementation of resource management interventions;
  2. Critically explore key science-policy-practice linkages and explore relationships between operational conditions behind functional integration and social-ecological outcomes across a wide range of EU member states;
  3. Assess the role of cross-sectoral and inter-stakeholder MSP linkages on knowledge production, uptake of findings and anticipated social and environmental outcomes for addressing specific sustainability challenges in two study systems (small-scale fisheries in São Tomé and Príncipe and Mozambique).

These research objectives will be addressed by three work packages, respectively:
WP1: Review the application of social-ecological approaches in MSP worldwide
WP2: Undertake a European-level analysis of planning and implementation of MSP projects with a focus on functional integration (i.e. science-policy-practice interface)
WP3: Conduct a detailed case study comparison focused on MSP related to small-scale fisheries management in São Tomé and Príncipe and Mozambique