Article | Open Access
Ocean Literacy as a Strategic Asset for Regional Marine Policy: Insights From an Implementation Case Study
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Abstract: Ocean literacy (OL) has increasingly been recognised as a key enabler of participatory marine governance, with potential synergies with maritime spatial planning (MSP). These links are particularly evident in stakeholder engagement processes, which are mandated by the European MSP Directive and supported by international institutional guidelines. OL can facilitate these processes by fostering informed participation, enhancing public awareness, and supporting educational and cultural goals aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 14 “life below water.” Within the framework of the EU‐funded Regions to Boost National Maritime Spatial Planning‐MSP project, a methodology was developed to support the design of a Regional Ocean Literacy Strategy aimed at strengthening MSP implementation at the sub‐national (NUTS‐2) level. This article outlines the development of a structured toolbox to support regional OL strategies and presents the results of its empirical testing in the Sardinia region. The findings indicate that regional actors acknowledge the relevance of OL for marine management and that existing assets—such as environmental education networks and cultural initiatives—can be effectively mobilised through a strategic framework. The study demonstrates the feasibility and replicability of the approach, offering a model that can be adapted and transferred to other regional contexts across Europe.
Keywords: environmental awareness; maritime spatial planning; ocean citizenship; ocean governance; ocean literacy; policy design; regional governance
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Vol 2 (2025): Ocean Literacy as a Mechanism for Change Across and Beyond the UN Ocean Decade (In Progress)
© Folco Soffietti, Fabio Carella, Céline Jacob, Cristina Cervera Núñez4, Alice Kerninon, Olivier Laroussinie, Francesco Musco. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction of the work without further permission provided the original author(s) and source are credited.