Postgraduate Course: Sustainable Marine Development (PGGE11253)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Our coastlines, the open ocean, and even the deep-sea are becoming busy places with new and emerging uses. They are also being rapidly altered by climate change. This creates cumulative spatial and temporal conflicts between users and marine species, habitats, and whole ecosystems against a backdrop of climate uncertainty. In this course, students will learn to use a suite of interdisciplinary marine planning tools that helps balance conservation with sustainable use of marine resources in a changing climate. The course introduces students to open-access geospatial and artificial intelligence tools for identifying environmental conflicts (Scotland's National Marine Plan interactive and Global Fishing Watch), participatory tools for planning sustainable multi-use ocean spaces (Marine Spatial Planning), and conservation tools for protecting discrete areas (Marine Protected Areas and more). The course will dive deeper into over-arching topics on planning for transboundary environmental issues, migratory species, climate change, marine conservation, and inclusion. The goal of the course is that by the end of the semester, students understand how they can engage with these tools to develop strategies for sustainable marine development in a multi-use ocean. |
| Course description |
The course combines traditional lectures with guest lectures, serious gaming, informal computer practicals, a day field trip, and lots of small discussion groups. Summative coursework is authentic, and challenges students to explore marine industries and conflicts of their own interests from their own perspectives.
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Apply critical thinking and understand environmental impacts of human activities along our coasts and in the oceans;
Apply data-driven approaches to identify potential spatial conflicts;
Apply a diverse suite of marine planning tools including marine spatial planning; Develop standards and strategies to improve marine spatial planning
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Background in marine, natural, environmental law or sciences, or conservation |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Summative Coursework:
Issue Brief (30%) due week 5
Blue Paper (70%) due week 12
Formative Coursework:
Blue Paper Concept presentation during Week 7
|
| Feedback |
Written feedback will be provided on both summative assessments. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Apply critical thinking and analytical understanding of drivers and impacts around marine environmental assessments and project management
- Apply data-driven approaches to producing baseline environmental conditions of the marine space and identify potential spatial conflicts
- Apply stronger organisation skills to plan, execute and report on scientific investigation and management evaluations
- Develop critical thinking with regard to the evaluation of sources of information, the feasibility of management options and interpretation of outcomes
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Reading List
Suggested Reading List to Prepare:
Frazão Santos, C. et al. 2024. Key components of sustainable climate-smart ocean planning. Ocean Sustainability, 3(1), p.10.
Manea, E. et al. 2023. Link marine restoration to marine spatial planning through ecosystem¿based management to maximize ocean regeneration. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 33(11), pp.1387-1399
Paolo, F. et al. 2024. Satellite mapping reveals extensive industrial activity at sea. Nature, 625(7993), pp.85-91.
Lennox, R.J. et al. 2019. Optimizing marine spatial plans with animal tracking data. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 76(3), pp.497-509.
Papageorgiou, M., 2022. Transboundary marine governance and stakeholder engagement in complex environments and local seas: experiences from the Eastern Mediterranean. Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, 7(3), pp.329-337.
UNESCO-IOC and UNESCO-LINKS. 2024. Engaging Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and Embracing Indigenous
and Local Knowledge in Marine Spatial Planning: Volume 1 ¿ Basic Concepts. Paris, UNESCO. (IOC Technical Series No. 189,
Volumes 1 and 2).
Abspoel, L. et al. 2021. Communicating maritime spatial planning: the MSP challenge approach. Marine Policy, 132, p.103486.
Jonas, H.D. et al. 2024. Global status and emerging contribution of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) towards the ¿30x30¿ biodiversity Target 3. Frontiers in Conservation Science, 5, p.1447434.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Applying data-driven approaches to identifying spatial conflicts in a multi-use ocean
2. Understands when and how to use open-access, AI tools as well as participatory planning and protection tools, and how to plan for climate change
3. Strategy development for the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Formative Coursework: Blue Paper concept note due in Week 7 |
| Keywords | Marine Infrastructure,built environments,project development,mitigation,environmental change |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Lea-Anne Henry
Tel: (0131 6)50 5425
Email: L.Henry@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Sarah Jones
Tel:
Email: sarah.jones@ed.ac.uk |
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