In a nutshell, the OceanPlan project is a 3-year research project investigating how marine spatial planning (MSP) can both be affected by and adapt to global climate change. ​​The project is funded by the Portuguese Foundation fo rScience and Technology (FCT), and led by an international team of scientists with expertise on both climate change and MSP.

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MSP is being developed and implemented worldwide as a way to foster sustainability in ocean management and use. It deals with the spatial and temporal distribution of human uses in marine areas, striving to minimize conflicts and foster compatibilities among such uses, as well as between uses and the environment. ​On top of the many challenges MSP already faces (political, socioeconomic, environmental), it will need to deal with a changing climate in the near future. Properly incorporating climate change into the MSP framework will allow for better preparedness, improved response capacity, and, ultimately, a reduced vulnerability of marine socio-ecological systems.

Led by: Marine andEnvironmental Sciences Centre

Partners: Fundação Gaspar Frutuoso (Universidade dos Açores)

Funded by: Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology

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To access the project's output, please click here.

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