Following Christine's attendance at the United Nations BBNJ IGC2 in New York between 24 March 2019 and 29 March 2019 to conduct interviews to inform the design of a Q-methodology study regarding science-based management approaches in areas beyond national jurisdiction, we are pleased to include the link to the Q-study here: www.geos.ed.ac.uk/~s1877783/htmlq/

If you would like to participate in this research, you can This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Research area: Science-Based Management Tools in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction

The Science-Policy Interface of ABNJ Governance: Marine Spatial Planning as a Tool to Operationalize Science-Based Management Approaches at Ocean Basin-Scale

Research Question: How can Marine Spatial Planning operationalize science-based management approaches at ocean basin-scale?

Methodology: Conclusions will be drawn from a two-part, cross-disciplinary methodology:

I. Policy analysis: An analysis of existing Marine Spatial Planning tools will be conducted to evaluate the current application of scientific tools and evidence in management measures, to highlight opportunities for increased science-based management approaches at ocean basin-scale.

II. Stakeholder analysis: To assess stakeholder perceptions, semi-structured interviews will be conducted at the IGC2 between 24 and 29 March 2019. These data will inform the design of a Q-methodology survey, which will be implemented through an online platform during May 2019 and targeted specifically at a variety of BBNJ expert/stakeholders. A factor analysis will be conducted on the resulting data to produce composite Q-sorts from which areas of conflict and consensus within the discourse will be highlighted.

Output: This research will produce recommendations on how science-based management approaches can be operationalised into obligations at ocean basin-scale.