Presentation of the Marine Spatial Planning game 2050 - North Sea edition. Netherlands ministry Infrastructure and Environment & Signature Games

1. MSP Challenge 2050
NORTH SEA EDITION
“ J O I N T H E G A M E ”

2. “For most of history, man has had to fight nature to
survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in
order to survive, he must protect it.” Jacques-Yves
Cousteau, (French Explorer, 1910-1997).

3. Trailer MSP Challenge 2050
http://vimeo.com/98148909

4. partners & developers

5. Galene project www.mspchallenge.org

6. MSP Challenge core team
Lodewijk Abspoel,
Policy advisor I&M
Xander Keijser,
project leader RWS
Wouter Gotje, Imares Igor Mayer – project
leader, Moderator
Linda van Veen – User
design
Bas van Nuland–
Software development

7. about MSP Challenge 2050 game
“The Maritime Spatial Planning Challenge is an
interactive multiplayer serious game that gives maritime
spatial planners insight in the diverse challenges of
sustainable planning of human activities in the marine
and coastal ecosystem.”

8. about maritime spatial planning
EU marine strategy framework directive (MSFD) 2014
 member states are required to make an initial ecological assessment of their waters in
respect of each marine region or sub region and then define measures, including MSP, to
achieve ‘good environmental status’ (GES)
Marine / Maritime Spatial Planning
 cornerstone of the Commission's Blue Growth (BG) strategy and of Integrated Maritime
Policy. (…) It should (…) help establish coherent networks of Marine Protected Areas, for
which cooperation on planning across borders is essential, and ensure the participation of
all stakeholders in planning processes.’ (‘Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Newsroom,’ n.d.).
 Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is about planning human activities in order to ensure their
efficiency and sustainability. This process involves stakeholders in a transparent way in the
planning of maritime activities.

9. Plan Bothnia
(The Baltic)
examples
Plan North sea
(Netherlands)

10. why is MSP complex?
1. Unclear system boundaries
 Mare librum, EEZ, coastal zones,
sea-land interaction
 Deeply below sea floor to above
sea level
 Time, planning horizon
2. Ambiguity
1. Definitions
2. Goals
3. Uncertainty
 Cause-effect relations
 Feedback, delays
 Cumulative effects
4. Policy arena
1. Transnational
2. Transsectoral
3. Stakeholders
5. Role of science
1. Disciplines, institutes
2. Disputes and disagreements
3. Proprietary data information
4. Role of non-scientific experts

11. role of data, maps, science

12. integrated MSP: what does it mean?

13. MSP Challenge 2011
• Multi-player,
computer supported
role-playing game
about Integrated,
Eco-based Marine
Spatial Planning
• Based on the Baltic
case
• Played in Lisbon 2011
and Reykjavik 2013
• With around 60
players in each
session

14. Maritime Spatial Planning
Challenge 2050, North Sea Ed.
Multi-player, Computer
based simulation-game
about Integrated Maritime
Spatial Planning,
Based on accurate data
With multidimensional
visualizations and
feedback from simulation
models, s.a. Food Chain
Networked computer
interaction among 6
countries and 20 players
Launched in February
2014

15. Why play the game?
The objective of the simulation-game is to significantly contribute to policy learning and international
planning practices with regard to integrated (eco-based) Marine Spatial Planning.
What are possible futures for the North Sea (2050)?
What are the long term consequences of short term decisions?
What are important indicators for the effectiveness of MSP, and how do we monitor them?
What are the interdependencies of sectorial and national policies?
Where are the significant conflicts and trade-offs among competing economic activities?
Where and how can economic activities be combined or integrated?
Where are the cumulative effects of economic activities upon marine ecology?
Where are the ecologically vulnerable areas, and what can be done to protect them?
Where and how is cross national consultation and coordination needed?
What policies or institutions can be designed to make MSP more effective, more integrated, more sustainable?
What is the role of digital data and interactive planning tools in MSP?
…

16. Limitations
“A game is not a machine that can foresee the future or
deliver instant solutions.”
Nevertheless, playing the MSP game can deliver…
• Sketches and maps for further exploration
• Alternative scenarios with performance indicators
• Ideas for new policies or institutions
• Guidelines, procedures and principles for stakeholder or international consultation
• Data for further analysis
• Issues for a future research or policy agenda

17. Players’ assignment…
“Achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) and a prospering blue
economy for the North Sea in 2050 by taking measures for the
EEZ of your country, using the instruments of Marine / Maritime
Spatial Planning and with a specific eye onto European guidelines
and international consultation.

18. game materials

19. the software
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqVcuZCRvLc&feature=youtu.be

20. Game world
North sea
Norway
Denmark
Germany
Netherlands
England
Scotland

21. 2d to 3D zooming
zooming
animation
visualization
middle mouse click and
scroll

22. Function layers
18 functional layers
click and select one or
more
anchorages
aquaculture
cables
dredging
…

23. Ecology layers
areas of marine ecology
algea / plakton
shell fish
fish
marine mammals

24. design a marine spatial plan
functional, sectoral or
integrated
give it a name
select the appropriate
layers
select realization date

25. draw a plan
select the drawing icons
go to the designated area
draw the area by clicking
mouse
erase is delete
select one or more of the
to resize
copy past the area

26. draw a plan
draw the area by clicking
mouse
erase is delete
select one or more of the
to resize
copy past the area
detailed information
about the area by
hoovering mouse

27. dashboard
Performance indicators
Function
high level
Frequency
proportion area
Sq nm
dynamic

28. Further reading…
1. Mayer, I. S., Zhou, Q., Lo, J., Abspoel, L., Keijser, X., Olsen, E., … Kannen,
A. (2013). Integrated, Ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Planning: Design
and Results of a Game-based Quasi-Experiment. Ocean and Coastal
Management, 82, 7–26. doi:dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2013.04.006
2. Zhou, Q. (2014). The Princess in the Castle Challenging Serious Game
Play for Integrated Policy Analysis and Planning. PhD thesis. TU Delft.
3. Mayer, I. S., Zhou, Q., Abspoel, L., & Keijser, X. (2014). Gaming the Future
of the Ocean: The Marine Spatial Planning Challenge 2050. In M. Ma
(Ed.), SGDA 2014, Serious Games Development and Applications, LNCS
8778 (pp. 150–162). Springer Berlin / Heidelberg.

29. connect
www.mspchallenge.org
xander.keijser@rws.nl
Lodewijk.Abspoel@minienm.nl
i.s.mayer@hotmail.com