Knowledge Exchange Fellowship - KE4SEA: Engaging marine stakeholders in NERC-funded conflict research to enhance the effectiveness of Scotland's MPAs

保护和恢复海洋生态系统是一项国际优先事项。世界海洋严重退化，海洋系统的结构、功能和效益发生变化和损失。这会对环境产生影响，并可能对人类的生命、生计和福祉造成毁灭性的后果。世界各地的人们依靠海洋资源获得食物、收入、能源和娱乐，以及抵御气候变化破坏性影响的一种形式的保护。海洋保护区在有力的科学证据的指导下，有可能为子孙后代保护海洋系统。然而，管理者必须驾驭一个复杂的多利益攸关方环境，在这种环境中，很难平衡海洋养护的需要与社会、文化和经济的要求。海洋保护区内部相互竞争的利益和需求之间的冲突可能会破坏保护努力，并严重限制知识的流动，包括由国家海洋研究中心资助的海洋科学。苏格兰的MPA网络在海洋保护方面处于世界领先地位，已经超过了科学家建议的30%的保护区覆盖率。MPA管理和政策的责任由NatureScot、联合自然保护委员会(JNCC)、苏格兰历史环境和苏格兰环境保护局(SEPA)以及苏格兰海洋共同承担。在未来五年内，合作伙伴海洋苏格兰和NatureScot计划对海洋保护区的管理和政策做出改变，并指定更多的海洋保护区，包括海洋禁渔区，这是海洋保护区的最严格形式。为了节省关键资源，决策者和管理人员必须了解网络中现有的和新出现的冲突及其分布、强度和驱动因素，以协助资源分配和制定更有效、更有针对性的管理战略。此外，海洋苏格兰和NatureScot需要外部专业知识来促进多方利益攸关方论坛，并调解关于未来管理决策的讨论。该奖学金将利用申请者的冲突调解专业知识来服务于这两个目的，方法是开创性地应用由NERC资助的保护冲突曲线，作为评估冲突分布、强度和驱动因素的诊断工具，帮助分配冲突管理资源的决策支持工具，以及促进利益攸关方聚集在一起并促进共同理解的促进工具。迫切需要加强决策者、利益攸关方、从业人员和研究人员--特别是应用社会和政治学研究人员--之间的合作，将冲突研究中的理论和框架转化为实用的工具、办法和指导，从而有助于更好地管理和治理海洋保护区，并为利益攸关方之间的有效知识交流建立网络。此外，国际社会将从分享这一研究金的数据中受益，这将有助于就海洋保护区的有效管理和利益攸关方参与问题进行全球对话。为满足这些机构和知识需求，这项研究金的具体目标是：i)提供苏格兰MPA网络中现有和新出现的冲突的深入知识和数据，包括对冲突的分布、强度和驱动因素进行分析；ii)评价现有管理战略，并为决策者提供一个工具包，以指导冲突降级、加强参与和改善知识流动；iii)共同创建一个在线全球数据库，以促进关于冲突强度、分布和驱动因素在其他MPA网络中的知识共享和整合。该项目将提供最佳做法的范例，并将在国内和国际上推广。

The protection and restoration of marine ecosystems is an international priority. The world's oceans are severely degraded, with changes and losses to the structure, function and benefits from marine systems. This carries environmental implications and potentially devastating consequences for human lives, livelihoods and wellbeing. People across the world rely on marine resources for food, income, energy and recreation, as well as a form of protection from the damaging impacts of climate change. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), when guided by robust scientific evidence, have the potential to safeguard marine systems for future generations. However, managers must navigate a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, where balancing the need for marine conservation with social, cultural and economic requirements is difficult. The conflicts that arise between competing interests and needs within MPAs can derail conservation efforts and critically restrict the flow of knowledge, including NERC-funded ocean science. Scotland's MPA network is world-leading in its commitment to marine protection, already exceeding the 30% protected area coverage recommended by scientists. The responsibility for MPA management and policy is shared between NatureScot, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Historic Environment Scotland and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), and Marine Scotland. Within the next five years, partners Marine Scotland and NatureScot plan to make changes to MPA management and policy, and designate more MPAs, including marine 'no-take' zones which are the most restrictive form of MPA. To save critical resources, it would be invaluable to decision makers and managers to have an indication of existing and emerging conflicts within the network, and their distribution, intensity and drivers to assist in resource allocation and the development of more efficient, targeted management strategies. In addition, Marine Scotland and NatureScot require external expertise to facilitate multi-stakeholder forums, and mediate discussions regarding future management decisions. This fellowship will utilise the conflict mediation expertise of the applicant to serve these dual purposes, through pioneering application of the NERC-funded Conservation Conflict Curve as a diagnostic tool to assess conflict distribution, intensity and drivers, a decision support tool to assist in the allocation of resources for conflict management and a facilitation tool to bring together stakeholders and promote shared understanding. There is a pressing need for greater collaboration between decision-makers, stakeholders, practitioners and researchers - particularly those from the applied social and political sciences - to move theories and frameworks in conflict research into practical tools, approaches and guidance that can contribute to the better management and governance of MPAs and build networks for the effective exchange of knowledge between stakeholders. Furthermore, the international community would benefit from the sharing of the data from this fellowship, which will contribute to a global dialogue on effective management and stakeholder participation of MPAs. To fulfil these institutional and knowledge needs, the specific objectives of this fellowship are: i) To provide in-depth knowledge and data of existing and emerging conflicts within Scotland's MPA network, including analysis of their distribution, intensity and drivers; ii) Evaluate existing management strategies and deliver a toolkit for decision-makers to guide the de-escalation of conflicts, enhance participation and improve knowledge flow and iii) Co-create an online global database to promote knowledge sharing and integration regarding conflict intensity, distribution and drivers in other MPA networks. This project will deliver an exemplar of best practice that will be expanded both nationally and internationally.