Near-term priorities for the science, policy and practice of Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP)

There is currently a rare opportunity to inform emerging efforts to implement coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) in the United States, Europe and elsewhere around the world. In particular, the newly formed US National Ocean Council is developing a strategic action plan for CMSP over the next 18–24 months. In order to identify priority needs for significantly advancing CMSP, a group of experts in the science, policy and practice of CMSP developed recommendations for (1) process development, (2) communication and engagement efforts, (3) tradeoff and valuation analyses, and (4) decision support. Some of these priorities are supported by existing activities in the United States and elsewhere. Others have yet to be addressed and merit immediate attention.

► An international panel of experts developed a short list of top-priorities for advancing CMSP.
► Priorities fell into four categories: process, communication, tradeoff assessment, and decision support.
► Many existing research and management activities can be used to inform and advance these priorities.