South Africa’s large exclusive economic zone includes the Indian, Atlantic and Southern Oceans. Management of this ocean space has traditionally been undertaken within sectors, leading to conflict amongst sectors, and between sectors and the need for environmental protection. As the demand for ocean space and marine resources increases, in response to a growing oceans economy, a more integrated approach to management is required to ensure that both ecological and socio-economic objectives are met. Marine spatial planning (MSP) has emerged in many countries as an effective process to achieve this integration, and in 2016, South Africa became the first African country to draft MSP legislation. In this seminar, I present seven trans-disciplinary research projects that address challenges for implementing an ecosystem-based approach to MSP in South Africa. Projects include the analysis of microbial community dynamics as a measure of marine ecosystem health and the response to environmental change; the use of biological traits to assess ecosystem condition of rocky reefs; a model to assess the impacts of warming and ocean acidification on the southern Benguela food web and fisheries; spatial management options for marine fisheries in South Africa; the use of low-cost fishing exclusions to improve the conservation of a top predator; the assessment and development of sustainable boat-based marine tourism; and the development of a system-dynamics model to support marine spatial planning in Algoa Bay, South Africa. I conclude with lessons learned, and recommendations to advance ecosystem-based approaches to MSP globally, within a systems-thinking framework.

Collaborators: Rosemary Dorrington, Kelly Ortega Cisneros, Gwenith Penry, Lorien Pichegru, Jodie Reed, Kaylee Smit, Estee Vermeulen