POLICY AND PRACTICE REVIEWS article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Affairs and Policy
Management and Practice of Multi-Use of the Sea in China
Provisionally accepted
- National Ocean Technology Center, Tianjin, China
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In the context of increasingly scarce global marine spatial resources, multi-use (MU) of the sea has emerged as an effective pathway to promote sustainable marine development, representing a growing trend in the utilization of marine resources. In this study, we reviewed the evolution of MU of the sea in China, dividing its development into three stages: planar use, exploratory three-dimensional use, and systematic three-dimensional development. We further categorized MU of the sea into three types: "temporary" "three-dimensional" and "coexistence". We proposed a judgment methodology for MU of the sea, including the construction of a functional compatibility assessment matrix for sea-use projects. On this basis, we introduced China's practice of three-dimensional layered rights to the use of sea areas. We elaborated on the latest progress in MU of the sea in China from the perspectives of feasibility analysis and approval methods for right confirmation, definition of three-dimensional spatial scope, and advances at the provincial level. The results of this research contribute to the improvement of marine spatial planning and the enhancement of sustainable marine development.
Keywords: coexistence, marine spatial planning, Multi-use, right to the use of sea areas, three-dimensional
Received: 06 Nov 2025; Accepted: 08 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Meng, Teng, Zhao, Zhang and Kang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xin Teng
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