The marine environment is subject to strong pressures related to human activity, such as fishing, tourism, recreational uses, and energy exploitation, among others. Hence, the governance of the marine environment is essential to guarantee its sustainability. Some of the management tools that have expanded the most in recent years are based on network analysis of social and/or ecological systems. The analysis of social networks consists of the systematic study of the patterns of interaction between individuals, groups, or organizations. This allows us to identify and describe some emergent structural properties.
In the specific case of the marine environment, network analysis has been applied in (a) the monitoring of participatory governance practices, (b) the evaluation of ecosystem services, and (c) the design and implementation of interventions.
The applications of network analysis have been widely extended in the understanding and governance of natural resources in general and the marine environment in particular. However, along with the growing number of innovations, it is necessary to systematize the network intervention experiences accumulated in recent years. This research topic aims precisely to address this proliferation of innovations from a systematic point of view. Therefore, the scope of this research topic includes, and is not limited to, articles presenting examples of:
- Participatory approaches of social network analysis to marine environment governance.
- Network analysis of social media data for assessing marine ecosystem services.
- Design, implementation, and evaluation of network-based interventions in marine environments.
- Systematization of the practice of network interventions in the marine environment.
Contributions are invited from researchers and practitioners, both in the field of social sciences and natural sciences. The manuscript types we are interested in receiving include original research, perspectives, and reviews.
The marine environment is subject to strong pressures related to human activity, such as fishing, tourism, recreational uses, and energy exploitation, among others. Hence, the governance of the marine environment is essential to guarantee its sustainability. Some of the management tools that have expanded the most in recent years are based on network analysis of social and/or ecological systems. The analysis of social networks consists of the systematic study of the patterns of interaction between individuals, groups, or organizations. This allows us to identify and describe some emergent structural properties.
In the specific case of the marine environment, network analysis has been applied in (a) the monitoring of participatory governance practices, (b) the evaluation of ecosystem services, and (c) the design and implementation of interventions.
The applications of network analysis have been widely extended in the understanding and governance of natural resources in general and the marine environment in particular. However, along with the growing number of innovations, it is necessary to systematize the network intervention experiences accumulated in recent years. This research topic aims precisely to address this proliferation of innovations from a systematic point of view. Therefore, the scope of this research topic includes, and is not limited to, articles presenting examples of:
- Participatory approaches of social network analysis to marine environment governance.
- Network analysis of social media data for assessing marine ecosystem services.
- Design, implementation, and evaluation of network-based interventions in marine environments.
- Systematization of the practice of network interventions in the marine environment.
Contributions are invited from researchers and practitioners, both in the field of social sciences and natural sciences. The manuscript types we are interested in receiving include original research, perspectives, and reviews.