Navigating change: Transformative approaches in ocean planning

In recent years, ocean planning has gained global prominence as a critical tool for managing increasing demands on marine ecosystems. As pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss, and expanding maritime industries intensify, there is a growing need for planning processes that are adaptable, inclusive, and forward-thinking. While MSP and other ocean governance frameworks have evolved significantly, many remain rooted in static models that struggle to respond to dynamic social-ecological realities.

This Research Topic aims to explore innovative, critical, and cross-disciplinary approaches that can advance ocean planning and governance in the face of growing environmental, social, and technological complexity. As ocean systems are increasingly shaped by cumulative human impacts, climate pressures, and expanding maritime industries, there is a pressing need to rethink how planning processes are designed, implemented, and evaluated. We seek contributions that interrogate the evolving tools, frameworks, and practices shaping ocean and coastal governance, while addressing the socio-political dimensions of these approaches. In particular, this topic encourages reflection on the intersections between ocean planning and broader questions of justice, equity, and inclusion, especially as they relate to emerging ocean energy systems, climate governance or ecosystem management. By gathering diverse perspectives from theory, practice, and policy, this collection fosters critical dialogue around how planning can better respond to uncertainty, promote inclusive decision-making, and enable transitions toward more sustainable and equitable ocean futures.

We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Recent applications and advancements in Cumulative Effect Assessment

• Emerging landscapes of ocean energy systems, their socio-ecological effects and implications for ocean planning

• Case studies or use cases of Digital Twin Ocean for Maritime Spatial planning and ocean management

• Governing climate change through Maritime Spatial Planning

• Integrating justice, equity, and inclusion in ocean planning

• Ecosystem-based approaches for ocean planning

• Recent applications and advancements in Cumulative Effect Assessment

• Embedding Social-Ecological Systems approaches into Maritime Spatial Planning

• Interdisciplinary and participatory methods in ocean planning and coastal zone management

Other contributions within this overarching theme will also be considered.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: marine spatial planning, MSP, marine energy system, socio-ecological system, ocean governance, marine governance, climate change, digital twin ocean, cumulative effect assessment

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.