Integrated management at the land-sea interface

Welcome to the third episode of the Ocean InSight podcast – a podcast series on marine conservation and ocean science for sustainable development, with unique perspectives from those on the frontlines of research, policy and action. This episode explores the interface of land and sea, how managing priorities are set, and what role cultural aspects can play.  

Our guests are Linda Harris and Myriam Perschke from the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, as well as Kira Gee from the Helmholtz-Centre Hereon in Geesthacht, Germany. Together, they are working on the MeerWissen project CoastWise, which aims to improve knowledge for integrated management of the land-sea interface in South Africa. 

The three researchers share their experiences of the challenges with terrestrial and marine planning as traditionally separate exercises in South Africa, and how the project CoastWise is tackling this knowledge gap. The project addresses this issue by generating spatial data and identifying priorities for estuaries and the coast in terms of biodiversity assessments. Among others, Harris, Perschke and Gee also reflect on the questions: How to balance cultural needs or values vs. ecological or economic interests? How did the proceeding co-design phase affect the implementation of the project, and specifically regarding the translation of the co-design process to communities on the ground?