Work

Facing marine industrialization: Challenges of participatory and inclusive governance in the Southern North Sea and the Baltic Sea - Editorial

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The Baltic Sea and the North Sea face severe ecological challenges including historic pollution from wars, nutrient input as well as pressures from offshore energy, shipping, and fishing, leaving marine ecosystems highly degraded. Marine industrial expansion furthermore undermines conservation goals. Against this backdrop, more inclusive governance is increasingly gaining attention. Public and stakeholder participation, along with stronger science-policy interfaces, may offer innovative solutions, though outcomes vary widely across political, socio-economic and cultural contexts. This collection of seven empirical studies from various social science disciplines explores how participation, communication, and multi-level institutional frameworks shape existing marine governance towards the protection of marine biodiversity and sustainable ocean uses – and what are major challenges including the proliferation of intensified user conflicts.

Source: MAST. Maritime studies/Maritime studies

DOI: 10.1007/s40152-026-00482-z

Authors: Annegret Kuhn, Achim Schlüter, Irit Ittner

Institutions: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, German Institute of Development and Sustainability

Language: English

Topic: Coastal and Marine Management

Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life below water, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,390