Evaluation of decision support tools for marine spatial planning in the Salish Sea

The Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initiative for the south coast of British Columbia (BC), Canada aims to bring together federal, provincial, and Indigenous partners, communities, and stakeholders to collectively coordinate how to use marine spaces and achieve ecological, economic, cultural, and social objectives. Decision support tools (DSTs) such as Marxan and Prioritizr are an important resource in the development of a marine spatial plan. These tools can systematically evaluate available spatial data on existing and future conditions to identify areas of high conservation value or importance for marine activities, define potential zoning frameworks, and evaluate trade-offs. A pilot study was initiated to evaluate DSTs and zoning approaches relevant to the development of a marine spatial plan for the BC South Coast, including the Salish Sea. This work builds off lessons learned in the use of DSTs to support the marine protected area network planning process in the North Coast of BC. DSTs that have been used to identify areas of high ecological or socioeconomic value and DSTs able to generate zoning scenarios were assessed, as were approaches for defining zones and incorporating conflicts and compatibilities between ecological features and marine activities. The results of this study can help partner organizations collaboratively identify major decision points, key supporting information, and workable spatial solutions throughout the process of developing a marine spatial plan for the BC South Coast.