Marine Social Sciences

Coastal and marine ecosystems are vital for human societies in many countries, especially for people living in coastal areas which represent more than one third of the global population. For instance, mangrove ecosystems are critical for food security since they act as nurseries for many fish species, and further contribute to stabilising shorelines, thus protecting coastal populations from extreme events. Coastal and marine environments are part of complex and dynamic social-ecological systems in which both the human and ecological systems are strongly connected. Despite the interdependence between human societies and coastal and marine ecosystems, the inclusion of social sciences in the broader discussions about coastal and marine development strategies and policies remains limited. Within the MERS group we address this global challenge by fostering marine social sciences research in line with the Sustainable Development Goals Indicators framework, the United Nations Ocean Decade, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework, and the FAO’s SSF guidelines. Our team investigates the relationships between human societies and the ocean and examines the social and political dimensions of coastal and marine management and development strategies. Major research lines within MERS study topics are:

• Gendered dimensions of fisheries management in small-scale fisheries communities.
• Social outcomes of collaborative fisheries governance approaches such as co-management.
• Contribution of local knowledge to understanding climate change impacts in coastal communities.
• Contribution of local knowledge to understanding changes and impacts in small-scale fisheries.
• Science-policy interface of “blue carbon”.
• Motivations and processes of blue carbon governance