Sustainable solutions: exploring trade-offs in marine protected areas from six European case sites
Gutierrez, D.; Calado, H.; Barboza, F.R.; Markovic, M.; Dias Gois Rodrigues de Queiroz, J.; Pegorelli, C.; Boudy, C.; De Raedemaecker, F.; Stanchev, H.; Withouck, I.; Stojanovic, I.; Zaucha, J.; García Sanabria, J.; Pinarbasi, K.; Matczak, M.; Stancheva, M.; Sciascia, R.; Newton, A. (2025). Sustainable solutions: exploring trade-offs in marine protected areas from six European case sites. npj Ocean Sustain. 4(1): 68. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00167-w
Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is a crucial tool for the sustainable use of ocean resources, requiring the negotiation of trade-offs among ecological, economic, and social interests. This study validates a participatory four-block methodology—preparation, option setting, trade-off negotiation and implementation—applied across six European case sites within the MSP4BIO project. It produced practical guidance—especially for the ‘Trade-off Negotiation’ phase, in a participatory context. This process was operationalized across the sites through three core phases: (I) preparation, (II) collaborative engagement with stakeholders, and (III) post-meeting consolidation. Participatory mapping tools such as SeaSketch were used to visualize spatial conflicts and support stakeholder engagement. Findings show that trade-offs are highly context-specific, requiring flexible, data-driven, and inclusive decision-making processes. Common challenges include data limitations, varying technical capacities, and the need for stronger integration of MSP and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). A qualitative cross-case comparison emphasized the importance of harmonized and adaptive methods to support participatory governance, and ecological resilience in the face of climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures on marine environments. This study is the first operational test in case sites, across six European sea basins, and present the comparative validation of the Calado et al1. Trade-offs method.
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