Integrated Marine Environmental Management
Summary
Integrated Marine Environmental Management is a holistic strategy that seeks to coordinate the governance of human activities, ecological processes and policy instruments across marine regions. It adopts the Ecosystem Approach, recognising the interdependence of biological, physical and socio-economic components, and balances multiple ocean uses—fisheries, shipping, energy, conservation and recreation—to maintain ecosystem health and services. Core elements include inclusive stakeholder engagement to reflect diverse interests; adaptive governance structures capable of responding to environmental change; and the application of robust indicators to monitor status and trends. Regional frameworks such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and maritime spatial planning initiatives guide the attainment of Good Environmental Status while supporting sustainable blue economies. Advances in remote sensing, data analytics and ecosystem modelling enhance the capacity to assess cumulative pressures and inform science-based decision-making. Globally, integrated management underpins efforts to bolster climate resilience, conserve biodiversity and secure social and economic benefits, charting a path towards sustainable stewardship of the world’s oceans.
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Integrated Marine Environmental Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in integrated marine environmental management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ecosystem-based Management (EBM): A holistic approach that manages marine resources by considering ecological interdependencies and cumulative human pressures.
Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD): The European Union framework aiming to achieve Good Environmental Status in marine waters by 2020 through a set of descriptors and indicators.
Good Environmental Status (GES): A condition defined under the MSFD in which marine ecosystems are healthy, functioning and delivering sustainable services.
Indicator: A quantitative or qualitative metric used to assess the state, trends or pressures of marine ecosystem components.
Stakeholder Engagement: The process of involving individuals, groups and organisations in decision-making to ensure diverse perspectives are reflected in management.
References
- Marine ecosystem-based management: challenges remain, yet solutions exist, and progress is occurring. npj Ocean Sustainability (2024).
- A script-based workflow to calculate zooplankton community indicator for environmental status assessment in the Baltic Sea. Ecological Informatics (2023).
- An approach to assess exploited fish stocks compliant to the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) including criterion D3C3. Ecological Indicators (2023).
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