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.
Kuhn A., Schlüter A. and Ittner I. (2026) Facing marine industrialization: Challenges of participatory and inclusive governance in the Southern North Sea and the Baltic Sea - Editorial. MAST. Maritime studies/Maritime studies 25(2): 18. 10.1007/s40152-026-00482-z
@article{Kuhn2026,
Title = {Facing marine industrialization: Challenges of participatory and inclusive governance in the Southern North Sea and the Baltic Sea - Editorial},
Author = {Kuhn, Annegret and Schlüter, Achim and Ittner, Irit},
Editor = {},
Journal = {MAST. Maritime studies/Maritime studies},
Year = {2026},
Pages = {18},
Volume = {25},
Doi = {10.1007/s40152-026-00482-z},
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.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Kuhn, Annegret
AU - Schlüter, Achim
AU - Ittner, Irit
TI - Facing marine industrialization: Challenges of participatory and inclusive governance in the Southern North Sea and the Baltic Sea - Editorial
T2 - MAST. Maritime studies/Maritime studies
PY - 2026
SP - 18
VL - 25
DO - 10.1007/s40152-026-00482-z
AB - 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.
ER -
