WG1
Maritime Occupations
Prof. Marco Alberio
Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna
Dr. Gesa Praetorius
Senior Researcher - The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute
This working group focuses on work and employment in different maritime professions and occupations: fishing, maritime transportation, coastal and maritime tourism etc.
We look at the transformations of maritime professions and occupations both in terms of employment in connection with economic trends, environmental changes, political regulations etc. and in terms of identities and relations to work. One of our first aims is to allow an overview of challenges and opportunities with regards to various maritime professions, finding common elements and building a sort of “(road)map of challenges and opportunities in blue economy: new skills-competencies vs skill retainment, new potential workers (groups normally not in maritime professions of various reasons) vs “old” workers, different countries’ profiles etc.
WG2
Food Security & Sustainable Blue Consumption
Dr. Cristina Pita
Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC) & CESAM- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro (lead)
Dr. Sebastian Villasante
Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (co-lead)
This working group focuses on value chains, trade and consumption of blue products (e.g., seafood).
It seeks to understand aquatic food value chains (fisheries and aquaculture), their governance system, markets, trade, and alternative marketing initiatives (e.g., to add-value to products, to link small-scale fisheries with local tourism); as well as investigate consumers’ preferences for aquatic food products. Our main aim is to provide an overview of the transformation, challenges and opportunities faced by aquatic food systems (from producer to consumer) in Europe and beyond.
WG3
Port cities and coastal communities
Assoc. Prof. Maciej Kowalewski
University of Szczecin/UNESCO Chair for Social Sustainability (lead)
Assoc. Prof. Natasa Vaidianu
Ovidius University of Constanta/University of Bucharest, Romania (co-lead)
The focus of Working Group 3 is on port cities and coastal communities, which are vital due to their strategic locations and reliance on marine spaces and resources.
The Blue Economy operates always within a social and spatial context, recognizing the connections between ports, cities, and coastal communities, involving diverse groups, actors, and institutions. Our task, among others, is to understand how these cities and communities can balance economic growth with environmental protection.
WG4
Fisheries governance & emergent activities
Prof. José J. Pascual-Fernandez
University of La Laguna, Institute of Social Research and Tourism, Spain (lead)
Dr. Irmak Ertör
Bogazici University, Türkiye (co-lead)
This working group focuses on the governance challenges related to traditional activities in the marine space, like fisheries, when new economic developments and infrastructures are transforming human uses of the ocean and the coastal areas.
This governance perspective should analyse new trends like Marine Spatial Planning, user groups’ diverse interests, civil society organisations’ roles, collective action challenges, alternative regulatory approaches, and many other issues that need proper analysis from social sciences and governance perspectives.
WG5
Climate change & natural hazards
Dr. Jerneja Penca
Science and Research Centre Koper (lead)
Dr. Cristina Piñeiro-Corbeira
Universidad de A Coruña (co-lead)
This working group focuses on the impact of climate change and natural hazards for coastal populations and the Blue Economy.
It seeks to understand the economic, social and environmental impact of climate change and natural hazards; study coastal residents’ experiences and attitudes to climate change as well as strategies for preventing, reducing and mitigating the impact of climate change and natural hazards.