Our seas and oceans are vitally important for the cultural, social, and economic well-being of the world's population. For effective management of the marine environment, sustainable use of marine resources and also safety at sea, a better understanding is required of both the functioning of this system and of human activities and their impact on social, economic, and ecological levels. Marine research in which attention is given to all of these aspects is therefore an essential requirement for appropriate management and improvement of the ecosystem. For more than thirty years, Belgian Science Policy has been initiating and supporting research programs studying the North Sea ecosystem. In order to enhance cooperation between funded research projects and to facilitate communication and dialogue with all target groups involved, especially policy makers, Belgian Science Policy decided to develop clustering programs, regrouping various funded research projects around common themes. One of these themes was 'Sustainable Management of the North Sea', a cluster which provided the opportunity for natural scientists, socio-economic scientists and lawyers to meet and discuss not only their research results but also the obstacles and enablers to bridging the gap between science and policy. This book is the product of this collaboration. |
