Pages: 37

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 11

This chapter defines Marine Studies as an emerging field of study that reflects the evolution of marine science into a field that explores the dynamic relationship between people and the marine environment. Furthermore, it outlines the interdisciplinary nature of Marine Studies, from its origins in social science disciplines, such as marine anthropology and marine sociology, to its current iteration as a field of study that fosters interdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration around real-world marine environmental problems. By emphasizing the human dimension of coastal and ocean issues, grounded in a basic understanding of marine environments and processes, the chapter also showcases Marine Studies as a transformative force to advance integration of the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences to the study of this complex and dynamic system.

Pages: 10

This chapter frames the dynamic relationship between people and the sea, with a focus on how we understand “people”. It starts by defining the human dimension as the range of human processes related to the environment, based on a set of theoretical foundations, and associated methodological approaches. Specifically, the chapter introduces key concepts, methods, and intellectual contributions of the basic social sciences, interdisciplinary social sciences, and the humanities, inviting the reader to assess how each field of study contributes to our understanding of marine environmental issues. As a way to prepare the reader for subsequent sections of this book, this chapter includes examples of human dimension questions associated with the “grand challenges” facing marine environments: climate change, fishing, aquaculture, pollution, energy production, and resource use in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ).

Pages: 14

The ocean is interconnected across its basins and has a profound influence on the earth’s cycles, altering weather patterns, regulating climate, supporting rich biodiversity, and providing resources to human communities around the world. By moving heat around the globe and driving large-scale wind patterns, the ocean moderates the delivery of water to land, influences storms, and creates our global climate zones. The underlying chemical and biological characteristics of seawater produce patterns that scale across food webs, from plankton to top predators. These essential ocean systems and reliant resources can be perturbed by natural causes (e.g., El Niño Southern Oscillation cycles) or human causes (e.g., eutrophication, ocean acidification). Humans have profoundly impacted the ocean through climate change, overexploitation, and pollution. Nonetheless, human-caused impacts have been mediated by a relatively small number of wealthy populations and governments, and the power to create positive change through community-centered work provides a promising future of sustainability and ocean conservation. Here we describe the fundamental earth processes regulated by the ocean, inspect some of these perturbations, and discuss the ocean’s role in sustaining humanity.

Pages: 115

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 18

Seafood – captured and cultivated – epitomizes the tight linkage between human and natural dimensions in marine coastal systems. Fisheries linkages to human systems go well beyond that of providing food from the sea. They provide an excellent example of the intersection between science, technology, and education with policy, management, and practice in maintaining the balance between resource conservation and use. Fisheries also influence culture, economies, and wellbeing of coastal communities. Numerous challenges confront fisheries. Challenges are ecological (such as declining fish stocks, bycatch, habitat degradation) and socioeconomic (changing markets and regulatory frameworks). Other challenges are new and have little existing regulatory framework. These include the impacts of global climate change (e.g., shifting species distribution, ocean acidification, and hypoxia), emerging market incentives (e.g., third-party certification and traceability), and pollution (e.g., microplastic impacts in wild and cultivated seafood). In this chapter we first provide an overview of the complexity of this coupled natural–human fisheries system. We share three case studies to illustrate how fishing communities have cooperated with managers and scientists to solve problems and take advantage of new opportunities.

Pages: 19

Aquaculture or seafood farming growth has accelerated in recent decades. Today more than half the global production of aquatic animals for human consumption is cultivated, slightly more than capture fisheries. Nevertheless, this booming activity faces numerous challenges: technical (development of grow-out systems, improved feeds), economic (cost-efficiencies, integration of global supply chains), and regulatory (coordinated and streamlined permitting systems, environmental oversight). We present case studies of two farmed marine animal species entering the global supply chain – Atlantic salmon and white shrimp – that illustrate these challenges, as well as advances toward environmental sustainability. Future areas of important emerging sustainable innovations include integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), restorative aquaculture, open ocean net pen aquaculture, and increasing implementation of best management practices and certification programs.

Pages: 21

Throughout history we have depended upon the ocean for survival, sustenance, transport, pleasure, and inspiration. While seemingly boundless and large enough to withstand any disturbance, the oceans have continually been on the receiving end of the side effects of human progress. Across the past century and a half we have witnessed the advent of electricity, the rise of the Industrial Revolution, better living through chemistry, and an increase in the need for products that enhance the convenience with which we live our lives. As a result, this expanse of water teeming with marine creatures has been ravaged by pollution during the 20th and into the 21st centuries. From agricultural runoff containing pesticides, to the cocktail of pharmaceuticals and excess nutrients mixed in with wastewater effluent and including the highly visible fragments and fibers shed from the plastic products that fuel our modern lives, the ocean is now a sink for the remnants of our existence. A resurgence in the visceral concern for environmental impacts is apparent as we enter the third decade of the 21st century. In this chapter we discuss the history, science, and societal responses to marine pollution.

Pages: 17

Increasing levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases are producing changes in the world’s oceans and coastal environments, such as increasing sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, and rising sea levels. This chapter explores the human dimensions of three climate change impacts: (1) rising sea levels, measures to adapt, and the potential displacement of persons from eroding, low-lying coastal areas; (2) the migration of fish stocks to new habitats resulting from increasing seawater temperatures; and (3) the degradation of coral reefs and impacts to shellfish resulting from ocean acidification. With sea level rise, millions of people in low-lying coastal cities and small island developing states must adapt or be displaced, and some will become climate refugees. In the case of fisheries, distributions of some fish stocks are already changing because of increasing ocean temperatures. These shifts have great implications for both fishers and managers of marine resources. Finally, rising atmospheric concentrations of CO2 that lower the ocean’s pH make it more difficult for corals and shellfish to precipitate the calcium carbonate that forms their exoskeletons and shells, affecting users of tropical coral reef ecosystems as well as the shellfish aquaculture industry.

Pages: 21

Marine renewable energy is poised to grow in the coming decades, contributing to the shift toward a sustainable energy regime. However, realizing marine renewable energy’s potential will require a reliable, efficient policy apparatus, as well as the recognition of potential conflicts related to its development and the importance of stakeholder preferences. In this chapter, we examine the state of offshore wind, wave, and tidal energies. Specifically, we analyze each respective technology, its present level of deployment, and projected future growth and costs. We then present insights related to attitudes toward marine renewable energy, focusing on the relevance of technology, people, place, and process. Finally, we appraise the marine renewable energy policy landscape, discussing the relevance of the law of the sea, leasing and zoning, marine spatial planning, and the relationship between marine renewable energy growth and broader energy policies related to decarbonization.

Pages: 17

Areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) encompass more than two-thirds of the ocean. Continents are connected and divided by the ecological, economic, and cultural values tied to these remote ocean spaces. Ships traverse the sea surface; submarine cables zigzag the seabed. Marine ecosystems of ABNJ support climate regulation and link the movements of coastal species and ocean currents. Fisheries and genetic research use ABNJ biological resources; mineral resources are being explored. For humans in societies worldwide, marine ABNJ are sources of heritage linked to historic and contemporary maritime voyages. Ocean ABNJ are shared, in principle, by all nation-states, but few equitably access and benefit from these resources. Sustainable use and conservation of marine ecosystems in ABNJ is a topic of international concern. Questions of equity abound in the exploitation and conservation of ABNJ resources, and in determinations of who benefits and how responsibilities are fulfilled. These questions are at the forefront of developments for a new United Nations treaty for marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (the BBNJ agreement). In this chapter, human connections with marine ABNJ are explored, the development of the international governance framework for marine ABNJ is introduced, and the development of the BBNJ agreement is outlined.

Pages: 129

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 18

This chapter showcases the importance of ocean governance in the context of the multiple dimensions and scales of the ocean space, growing demands for development of this space, and emerging threats from global climate change. Using a global environmental politics approach, it defines the key terms most often used to refer to the set of rules and regulations that determine the use and distribution of, and access to, ocean resources and spaces. The chapter then dives into the main international legal framework for ocean governance and the different approaches and actors involved in implementation of this framework.

Pages: 18

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are spatial management tools whose primary objective is the conservation of coastal and marine resources. MPAs represent a clearly defined geographical space managed by legal means to achieve the long-term conservation of marine and coastal environments for the natural, social, and cultural values that they represent. Recent decades have witnessed a proliferation of MPAs across a variety of habitats and for various purposes, and as the science of MPAs has matured, their effectiveness in promoting biodiversity function and protection, enhancing fisheries production and networks, preserving submerged cultural resources, and providing tourism and other non-extractive benefits has been increasingly recognized. This chapter discusses the ecological, economic, social, and governance dimensions of MPAs and the benefits (and challenges) that they can offer.

Pages: 16

The impacts of ecological change in coastal spaces, and the costs and benefits of different forms of human intervention on the coast, are not equally distributed among the human population. Instead, who benefits and suffers from what takes place on the coast is, to a great extent, a reflection of routine social relations that are hierarchical and complex. For this reason, questions of social inequality and social justice are integral and pertinent to the study of the human dimensions of marine environments and coastal areas. In this chapter, we introduce a conceptual and analytical toolkit to identify research concerns and formulate research questions related to “social relations of power in coastal spaces”, and to allow students to envision the value of research collaborations between marine scientists, social scientists, and scholars in the humanities. Anchored in anti-racist feminist perspectives, we outline an approach to marine studies that pays attention to the interdependencies between humans and oceans/coasts, while pushing for consideration of social justice concerns within the context of social impacts.

Pages: 19

This chapter covers a historical and legal perspective on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), primarily with a focus on the United States and its relationship with American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Tribal governments. It covers Indigenous worldviews (as compared with non-Native or settler-colonial views) and the impacts of colonization and genocide on TEK, on the legal frameworks that impact TEK, and on the utilization of TEK absent an acknowledgment of the harm TEK has undergone as part of our shared history. This chapter provides readers with a basic overview of the eras of federal Indian law and policy, case studies for better understanding of practical and ongoing issues, and a starting framework for response.

Pages: 16

This chapter highlights community perspectives on the marine environment: ways of knowing and connecting with this special place and the people who work and live there. While the coastal landscape is the physical interface between the land and the sea, the ocean itself is now understood to be a peopled seascape. Coastal communities of place and interest are interdependent – ecologically, economically, and socially. Career opportunities related to coastal community resilience and adaptive capacity span research, education and Extension, government, industry, conservation, and more: all focused on balancing conservation and use and working with stakeholders to solve problems and harness opportunities. Throughout this chapter, a recurrent theme is that places, people, and industries on the coast have always been changing, but with the recognition that climate change adds new challenges and requires new approaches and flexibility. The examples presented in this chapter highlight the importance of practical partnerships to develop and reinforce physical and social infrastructure, and the roles that people play in cooperatively discovering, learning, and innovating to work their way through emerging and chronic challenges and opportunities – and in so doing, strengthen their resilience, adaptive capacity and, ultimately, their wellbeing.

Pages: 16

According to the World Bank, the blue economy “is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihood and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health” (World Bank, 2017). The blue economy promotes sustainable wild seafood harvest, carbon-neutral aquaculture production, and new seafood technologies (both plant- and cell-based) that supplement demand for food from the sea and have the potential to reduce overfishing that exceeds scientifically determined maximum sustainable yields (MSY) and degrades marine ecosystems. It replaces fossil fuels with renewable energy, such as offshore wind power and wave and tidal energy systems, and encourages non-consumptive ocean uses. These activities encourage and enable people to think creatively about jobs and career possibilities centered on the sustainable and renewable use of marine resources.

Pages: 18

A Blue Economy is the establishment of ocean sectors that are socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable. Prioritizing social equity is what sets it apart as a new and transformative approach, and our choices of indicators – what and how we measure progress – are critical to making sure that we are advancing toward our intended goals. This chapter critically reviews social, environmental, and economic indicators to help guide Blue Economy plans. In every case, it is important to ask who and what may be left out of our indicators, and to not let our limited measurements become our aspirational goals.

Pages: 6

This book has detailed some of the grand challenges that the Ocean faces today, as well as the human dimension approaches to address the challenges. People and the Earth depend on the Ocean in multiple ways, yet our activities affect the Ocean’s health. In turn, any changes in the marine environment adversely impact human health and wellbeing. Given the dynamic relationship between oceans and society, to develop holistic approaches and solutions to these grand challenges, it is essential to redefine how we view the ocean. In this book we propose a move away from a narrative that separates the study of people from the study of the sea, to one that views the marine environment as a Coupled Natural–Human System that is best studied using interdisciplinary approaches.