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Details of Award

NERC Reference : NE/V017497/1

Integrating diverse values into the sustainable management of marine resources in the UK

Grant Award

Principal Investigator:
Professor S Fletcher, University of Portsmouth, Sch of the Env, Geography & Geosciences
Co-Investigator:
Dr J Potts, University of Portsmouth, Sch of the Env, Geography & Geosciences
Co-Investigator:
Mr JR Parr, Marine Biological Association, Marine Biology
Co-Investigator:
Dr E McKinley, Cardiff University, Sch of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Co-Investigator:
Dr E Vacchelli, University of Greenwich, History, Politics & Social Sci., FACH
Co-Investigator:
Professor P Ekins, University College London, Bartlett Sch of Env, Energy & Resources
Co-Investigator:
Dr T Acott, University of Greenwich, History, Politics & Social Sci., FACH
Co-Investigator:
Dr C Bowyer, University of Portsmouth, Sch of Creative Technologies
Co-Investigator:
Dr R Shucksmith, University of the Highlands and Islands, Shetland UHI
Co-Investigator:
Dr SA Jay, University of Liverpool, Geography and Planning
Co-Investigator:
Dr E E E Hughes, University of Portsmouth, Sch of Art, Design and Performance
Science Area:
Marine
Terrestrial
Overall Classification:
Unknown
ENRIs:
Natural Resource Management
Science Topics:
Environmental economics
Geog. of environmental Governance & regulation
Environmental Geography
Land - Ocean Interactions
Social Values
Cultural Studies
Community Art inc A & H
Abstract:
The overarching goal of the project is to generate an enduring and world-class step-change in the transdisciplinary capability of the UK marine policy stakeholder and research community to implement diverse values for decision making and support the sustainable management of the UK's marine resources. Diverse values refer to the many dimensions of value including economic values, social and cultural values, aesthetic values, and natural values and how they might be accounted for in decision-making frameworks such as instrumental values, intrinsic values and relational values. Marine environments and human well-being are inextricably linked through complex and multi-layered socio-ecological systems that span terrestrial, coastal and ocean domains. While this complexity is widely acknowledged in theory, current models of marine resource management practice (which themselves are highly complex, multi-scaled and interconnected) do not adequately adopt the necessary transdisciplinary approaches to use diverse values or have the means to align them to decision making and policy development. The transition to transdisciplinarity and diverse values is a challenge faced by marine science and policy communities worldwide and is acknowledged as a global science priority for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UNESCO 2019). It is a cross-cutting challenge which affects all marine management priorities. The inclusion of diverse values, particularly of a qualitative nature, into UK marine management processes is crucial, but at present is outside the experience, capability and comfort zone of many institutions and individuals in the marine management research and practitioner community. The aims of this project drive an innovative agenda of transformational research that both significantly advances our understanding of values-based marine management and which provides actionable tools and approaches that can feed directly into contemporary marine management practice in the UK. Working across three test study sites of Portsmouth / Newhaven, Upper Severn Estuary and the Shetland Islands the aims of this research are: 1. to generate a new conceptual basis for transdisciplinary marine management and research that allows multiple and diverse human values to be incorporated into marine management in the UK. 2. to synthesise existing ecological and economic data with new diverse values approaches (collected using methods from largely outside the marine community) to produce groundbreaking transdisciplinary and holistic understanding of how coastal communities value marine resources and their management. 3. to evaluate, through on-the-ground testing, how diverse values can: 1) be used to unlock the potential of ocean literacy to become an actionable policy tool; and 2) be integrated into marine governance institutions and practices to unlock a step-change in sustainable outcomes. 4. to create and implement a national-scale transition plan to support the UK marine management and research community to mainstream transdisciplinary approaches. A key aim of the project is to create a step-change in the capability of the UK marine sector to consider diverse values and the transdisciplinary approaches needed to operationalise those values. We have approached this by developing a research programme that is focused on co-constructing how diverse values can be used in policy and practice by developing transdisciplinary working practices both within academia and more broadly with diverse stakeholders. The aim of the project is to create a change in the practices of marine management in the UK. The project legacy will be an increased understanding and implementation of diverse values into marine policy and decision making and the creation of transition plans for institutions to facilitate embedding transdisciplinary practices into the operations of organisations.
Period of Award:
10 Aug 2021 - 31 Jul 2025
Value:
£1,715,223
Authorised funds only
NERC Reference:
NE/V017497/1
Grant Stage:
Awaiting Event/Action
Scheme:
Directed (Research Programmes)
Grant Status:
Active
Programme:
SMMR

This grant award has a total value of £1,715,223  

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FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)

DI - Other CostsIndirect - Indirect CostsDA - InvestigatorsDA - Estate CostsDI - StaffDI - T&SDA - Other Directly Allocated
£266,678£498,710£260,551£110,478£483,215£86,479£9,112

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