Ocean & Coastal ManagementPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107990
Emily L. Hague , Alice Walters , Anna Moscrop , Emma Steel , Katie Dyke , Lauren Hartny-Mills , Alison Lomax , Juliane Lehmann , Sebastian Olias , Carsten Hilgenfeld , Debbie Cole , Sarah MacDonald-Taylor , Carole Davis , Bernard Siddle , Julie Tozer , Wendy Kilroe , Áine Purcell Milton , Rebecca Olaleye , Lauren McWhinnie
{"title":"AIS underrepresents vessel traffic in Scotland's Marine Protected Areas","authors":"Emily L. Hague , Alice Walters , Anna Moscrop , Emma Steel , Katie Dyke , Lauren Hartny-Mills , Alison Lomax , Juliane Lehmann , Sebastian Olias , Carsten Hilgenfeld , Debbie Cole , Sarah MacDonald-Taylor , Carole Davis , Bernard Siddle , Julie Tozer , Wendy Kilroe , Áine Purcell Milton , Rebecca Olaleye , Lauren McWhinnie","doi":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107990","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maritime traffic poses a variety of risks to both the marine environment and marine wildlife. To quantify and predict risk, accurate data on the distribution and densities of vessel traffic is required, yet currently there is no single data type that captures all vessel traffic. Most commonly, AIS (Automatic Identification System) vessel tracking data is used, despite awareness that AIS data does not fully capture all vessels present. Therefore, evaluations using only AIS likely underestimate the potential impacts. To estimate the scale of underestimation, vessel presence within six of Scotland's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) were recorded during >1800 h of land-based and at-sea surveys, and compared with AIS data collected from a network of receivers deployed around Scotland. Non-AIS vessels were present within MPAs during 62 % of the surveyed period, with 64 % of vessels sighted not broadcasting AIS. AIS transmission rates varied between MPA, season and vessel type. Given that AIS data is the most commonly used data type for quantifying vessel activity and predicting associated impacts, consideration must be given to the volume of vessel traffic not represented within AIS datasets, particularly within MPAs. Underestimation of actual vessel traffic is likely leading to insufficient management or mitigation efforts within areas designated for protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54698,"journal":{"name":"Ocean & Coastal Management","volume":"272 ","pages":"Article 107990"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145468475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean & Coastal ManagementPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107983
Peter S. Puskic , Isabelle Cramer , Emma Church , Emily Deery , Matthias Egger , Natalie Fox , William P. de Haan , Laurent Lebreton , Arianna Liconti , Anna Sanchez-Vidal , Helen Wolter
{"title":"Highly engaged marine users can help monitor marine plastic pollution in under accessed environments","authors":"Peter S. Puskic , Isabelle Cramer , Emma Church , Emily Deery , Matthias Egger , Natalie Fox , William P. de Haan , Laurent Lebreton , Arianna Liconti , Anna Sanchez-Vidal , Helen Wolter","doi":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Citizen and community science programs have been instrumental to generating large datasets in natural sciences, while simultaneously engaging participants in science and the environment. Community led and citizen science projects have seen broad application to plastic pollution monitoring and cleanup efforts due to the abundance of plastic pollution in all environments around the globe. Here we highlight the work of a niche group of community scientists, we call, <em>highly engaged marine users</em>. This group of community scientists demonstrate a high level of connection to, and understanding of the ocean and are equipped with a set of specific skills and knowledge that are required for their work. We present case studies regarding plastic pollution monitoring by <em>highly engaged marine users</em> working in three understudied marine environments (1) surfers, paddleboarders, and kayakers in the nearshore environment, (2) recreational divers at the seafloor, and (3) recreational and professional seafarers in the open ocean. We reflect on the success of these programs highlighting the role of scientists in providing support in the study design, and execution of project efforts. We demonstrate that <em>highly engaged marine users</em> are key to executing plastic pollution monitoring in understudied marine environments across the globe and that engaging this group will be pivotal in meeting global needs of monitoring marine debris across the global ocean.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54698,"journal":{"name":"Ocean & Coastal Management","volume":"272 ","pages":"Article 107983"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145420360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean & Coastal ManagementPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108013
Guadalupe Gómez-Hernández , Orion Norzagaray-López , José Martín Hernández-Ayón , Véronique Garçon , Boris Dewitte , Gabriela Yareli Cervantes-Díaz
{"title":"Perceptions of oyster farmers on adopting environmental monitoring technologies to mitigate ocean acidification: A case study in Bahía San Quintín, México","authors":"Guadalupe Gómez-Hernández , Orion Norzagaray-López , José Martín Hernández-Ayón , Véronique Garçon , Boris Dewitte , Gabriela Yareli Cervantes-Díaz","doi":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal ecosystems face multiple stressors, and their responses are magnified by global stressors associated with climate change, such as warming and ocean acidification (OA). Oyster farming are vulnerable to the effects of these stressors. Environmental monitoring technologies have been proposed as an adaptive strategy to OA. This study examined the perceptions of the oyster farmers in Bahía San Quintín, Mexico, toward this strategy. Through surveys and workshops, we identified the main challenges oyster farmers face in their industry, their level of awareness about OA, and their openness to adopting new technologies. Most respondents (66 %) did not recognize OA, which suggests that they had a low perception of its risks and its potential consequences for their activities. The most frequent problems were environmental issues (48 %), such as extreme temperature events, biofouling, and predation, followed by limited technical and financial resources (34 %). Recognizing the negative effect that high temperatures have on their activity, especially during El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, is a positive outcome, as it allows them to adopt strategies to cope with OA. The main barriers to adopt new technologies were related to management issues (56 %), including a lack of economic resources. We recommend that interactions between oyster producers, academia, and governmental actors must be strengthened to promote environmental monitoring, thus improving their adaptive capacity and reducing potential impacts of stressors on their industry, such as climate change and OA. This study case is a valuable reference for other oyster farming communities in similar environmental and socio-economic contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54698,"journal":{"name":"Ocean & Coastal Management","volume":"272 ","pages":"Article 108013"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145520360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean & Coastal ManagementPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108057
Gabrielle F. Renchen, Casey B. Butler, Emily Hutchinson, Thomas R. Matthews
{"title":"Chasing bugs: characterizing the spatiotemporal patterns of recreational lobster fishing in the Florida Keys","authors":"Gabrielle F. Renchen, Casey B. Butler, Emily Hutchinson, Thomas R. Matthews","doi":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108057","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Florida Keys support one of the world's most intense recreational lobster fisheries and is centered on the Caribbean spiny lobster (<em>Panulirus argus</em>). Each year, a highly popular 2-day sport season precedes the regular lobster season. To quantify and characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of boating activity across the Florida Keys, we conducted aerial surveys in the 1990s and 2010s across a grid system of ∼1 nm<sup>2</sup> cells, comparing lobster season openers (sport season and regular season opener) with non-lobster days. Boating activity peaked during lobster sport season, with most boats engaged in diving to target lobsters. During lobster season openers, dive boats were widely dispersed and occupied roughly twice as many grids as on non-lobster days and shifted from the oceanside (dominant during the closed season) to the Gulfside of the Florida Keys. Persistent hot spots of diving activity were identified across decades: on the Gulfside during lobster season openers and on the oceanside near or within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Preservation Areas during non-lobster days. These consistent, localized concentrations of fishing pressure across decades underscore the importance of incorporating spatiotemporal patterns of fishing pressure into fisheries management. Evaluating the effects of such fishing pressure is critical for sustaining lobster stocks, improving boating safety, and safeguarding the sensitive wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems of the Florida Keys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54698,"journal":{"name":"Ocean & Coastal Management","volume":"273 ","pages":"Article 108057"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean & Coastal ManagementPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108055
Daniela Rojas-Cano , Rodolfo Rioja-Nieto , Erick Barrera-Falcón , María del Carmen García-Rivas
{"title":"A high-resolution spatial prioritization approach to improve the conservation strategies in a marine protected area in the Mexican Caribbean","authors":"Daniela Rojas-Cano , Rodolfo Rioja-Nieto , Erick Barrera-Falcón , María del Carmen García-Rivas","doi":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Marine protected areas (MPAs) are considered the main tool for the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems. Their effectiveness can be improved using spatially explicit approaches that integrate ecological information into management frameworks. In this study, we combined high-resolution benthic habitat mapping and seascape ecology metrics to identify priority areas for conservation in the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park (PNAPM). Quantitative analysis of benthic substrates allowed the classification of five habitat types: seagrass dominated, medium coverage of seagrass and sand, sand dominated, medium coverage to algal dominated over calcareous matrix, and reef crest. A thematic map was constructed using a supervised classification of a PlanetScope satellite image (overall accuracy = 85.1 and Kappa coefficient = 0.8), from which habitat patch complexity, patch-level connectivity, and β-diversity were calculated. These spatial layers were integrated using a weighted overlay analysis and an iterative process with all possible weight combinations to obtain an optimal map of the priority conservation areas. Habitats with high seagrass coverage dominated the PNAPM seascape, and eight high-priority zones were identified, mainly along the reef crest and northern reef lagoon, where management activities should be focused. The results of our analysis support the conservation objectives of the protected area and serve as a basis for updating the outdated management program. The integrative and reproducible approach used here offers a transparent, data-driven alternative to guide zoning processes within MPAs in shallow regions where coral reef systems are commonly distributed and supports the broader implementation of marine spatial planning strategies in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54698,"journal":{"name":"Ocean & Coastal Management","volume":"273 ","pages":"Article 108055"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean & Coastal ManagementPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108024
Mohammad Reza Nikoo , Hossein Yousefi , Malik Al-Wardy , Ghazi Al-Rawas , Rouzbeh Nazari , Ahlam Al Hanai , Khalifa Al-Zeidi
{"title":"Risk-based assessment of climate change–induced hazards in arid, data-scarce coastal zones","authors":"Mohammad Reza Nikoo , Hossein Yousefi , Malik Al-Wardy , Ghazi Al-Rawas , Rouzbeh Nazari , Ahlam Al Hanai , Khalifa Al-Zeidi","doi":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study integrated climate hazard assessment with coastal vulnerability analysis to evaluate marine and terrestrial risks along Oman's coastline. The fifth-generation ECMWF atmospheric reanalysis of the global climate (ERA5) and observed data, combined with downscaling and bias correction, were utilized to estimate key climate indicators, including Maximum Daily Precipitation (MDP) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST), under the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) scenarios of IPCC. Coastal vulnerability was assessed via ten indicators, including topography, shoreline change, land cover, coastal slop, soil texture, sea depth, circularity ratio of watersheds, population density, biodiversity intactness, and marine natural reserves, weighted through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results indicate vulnerability in the northern areas, near Masirah, and along the Salalah coast. The changes in the MDP range from −8 to 323 mm under SSP3-7.0, whereas the increases in the winter and summer SSTs reach 1.4 °C and 2.2 °C, respectively, under SSP3-7.0. High-risk hotspots, including the Muscat–Seeb–Sohar corridor, Masirah, and Salalah, were identified. These results underscore the need to implement sustainable coastal management strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54698,"journal":{"name":"Ocean & Coastal Management","volume":"272 ","pages":"Article 108024"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145617972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean & Coastal ManagementPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-17DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107961
Evelyn Roozee , Owen Temby , Gordon M. Hickey
{"title":"The impact of Regional Fishery Management Organization structure on collaborative performance","authors":"Evelyn Roozee , Owen Temby , Gordon M. Hickey","doi":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107961","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107961","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Collaboration is integral to understand, plan, coordinate, and implement management measures for fisheries that cross international borders. Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) are the main arenas for countries to collaborate and make decisions for transboundary fisheries, but these organizations have generally failed to prevent the depletion of some of the world's most valuable fish stocks. It is unclear how the structure and functioning of RFMOs can improve collaborative performance to better manage transboundary fish stocks. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, our study analyzes 10 RFMOs to identify the combination of six organizational conditions associated with high and low collaborative performance. Using United Nations-mandated Performance Reviews conducted by internal and external experts we assess RFMOs for six collaborative performance metrics based on international standards. Our results show that high collaborative performance requires distinct roles for Secretariats and committees, meaningful representation of stakeholders, and a small decision-making body. Specifically, ‘a high number of committees’ combined with a ‘a high diversity of Secretariat duties’ led to low performance overall, but when combined with ‘a low diversity of Secretariat duties’ led to high conservation and management performance. ‘A small Commission size’ was a necessary condition for high overall performance and compliance performance. ‘Low stakeholder involvement’ led to low overall performance and low financial and administrative performance. Current trends in global governance call for RFMOs to increase their number of contracting parties and expand their mandates to address the growing environmental challenges affecting transboundary fisheries. Our results show that as the membership and scope of RFMOs expand, managers should prioritize the inclusion of stakeholders and technical experts over additional bureaucrats to achieve collaborative performance goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54698,"journal":{"name":"Ocean & Coastal Management","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 107961"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145325053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean & Coastal ManagementPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108010
Yasin Ateş , Levent Kaba , Alper Seyhan , Cenk Ay , Yunus Emre Senol
{"title":"A structured risk modelling framework for palm oil cargo spoilage in maritime transportation","authors":"Yasin Ateş , Levent Kaba , Alper Seyhan , Cenk Ay , Yunus Emre Senol","doi":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.108010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Palm oil is highly sensitive to quality degradation during maritime transport due to thermal instability, ineffective cleaning, and operational errors. This study employs the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Fault Tree Analysis method to model the uncertainty and expert-based subjectivity associated with spoilage risks. A fault tree structure was created based on expert consultation, identifying 71 basic events leading to the top event, defined as cargo spoilage. Linguistic evaluations from ten experts were converted into intuitionistic fuzzy numbers and aggregated to estimate the failure probabilities. The top event probability was calculated as 0.233, suggesting a significant likelihood of spoilage throughout the voyage. Among all basic events, insufficient steam supply, excessive steam, inadequate training, poor placement of cleaning equipment, and sensor failures emerged as major contributors. These findings indicate that spoilage stems from a combination of technical, operational, and human-related shortcomings. Improving training strategies, procedural discipline, and equipment reliability is essential to mitigate these risks. The proposed framework provides a structured and flexible methodology for analysing spoilage risks and supports effective decision making for maritime operators. It offers a valuable contribution to the safe and sustainable transport of palm oil by identifying vulnerabilities and guiding improvements in both technical systems and human performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54698,"journal":{"name":"Ocean & Coastal Management","volume":"272 ","pages":"Article 108010"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145520359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}