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5.5. MSP and climate change
Oceans and seas have a two-way relationship with weather, and climate. The oceans influence
the weather on local and global scales, while changes in climate can fundamentally alter many
properties of the oceans. (Oceans US EPA, 2022) With the on-going climate change trends not
only environmental components, but also maritime activities will be affected by changes in the
ocean (decrease, increase or relocation).
Based on „adaptive, and anticipative‟ principles, MSP is meant to be „climate-smart‟, and build
up scenarios taking in consideration long term impacts of climate change (MSP Step 6, defining,
and analysing future conditions). Examples of MSP objectives related to climate change
responses may include:
- Promotion of offshore renewable energy
- Promotion of blue infrastructure, and nature-based solutions for carbon sequestration or
coastal vulnerability reduction
- Conservation of potential areas for climate refugees
Moreover, a climate-smart MSP could also propose the emerging concept of dynamic marine
protected areas (DMPAs), which means MPAs that are planned to shift across latitudinal
gradients as species distribution are expected to shift according to climate change models.