Finding the Zones of Least Conflict. Charting the Social, Biological, and Economic Factors in the Gulf of Maine for Marine Spatial Planning

One of the goals of Marine Spatial Planning is to alleviate conflicts between competing uses. There is a growing demand for allocating ocean areas for the purposes of offshore aquaculture, wind farms, and energy installations, in light of current uses (fishing, shipping, and recreation). Thus enhancements to our ability to understand the spatial and temporal patterns of these existing uses can help identify stakeholders’ interests and minimize future conflicts. We employed existing databases comprised of fishing, shipping, and protected species (mammals and sea turtles) to evaluate the current patterns of use of the US exclusive economic zone in the Gulf of Maine. Further, we incorporated spatial patterns resulting from economic models to evaluate the impacts of the potential displacement of shipping companies and fishing communities and to help evaluate trade-offs among uses. It is a widely held myth that the offshore environment in the Gulf of Maine is pristine and largely available for other uses. Most areas in the Gulf of Maine are used for at least one activity, and high use areas tend to be focused around bathymetric features that attract both fishermen and protected species. Shipping patterns follow both great circle routes and mandated shipping lanes—but not bathymetric features. Importantly, the economic evaluation of uses demonstrates different patterns of use relative to assessments based exclusively on activity levels. Space for additional offshore activity are available in a few locations, however further work to assess the biological and ecological appropriateness of these areas needs to be conducted prior to siting decisions.