The Strategic Partnership for Marine Spatial Planning (SPMSP) aims towards the development of a European higher education landscape in the emerging field of marine or maritime spatial planning. SPMSP is going to address current economic issues and problems on EU level, while involving research, administrative organizations and practitioners to reach a common understanding and to deliver blueprints for international and transdisciplinary approaches to modern higher education on MSP. SPMSP develops a common European education agenda exemplified for the Atlantic, Baltic Sea and North Sea Regions, while promoting transnational cooperation of experts in research and practice to overcome isolated individual schemes on current MSP training and higher education. Existing structures will be modernised and improved, while SPMSP simultaneously fosters synergies between education, administration and stakeholders. Improvement of curricula, exchange of knowledge and experts, and transparency and recognition of learning outcomes to reach higher qualifications in MSP are key in implementing this topic into the education landscape properly.Five partner organization from four European countries joint to strengthen the implementation of MSP which is driven by European policies. The University of Oldenburg (D, lead partner), the University of Liverpool (U.K.), the University of Nantes (F), the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (D) and the University of Applied Science Breda (NL) consitute the partnership. Furthermore, three international organizations, the Marine Spatial Planning Research Network, the Baltic inter-governmental VASAB and the pan-Nordic Nordregio will be involved in the partnership as associated organisations deeply rooted in the MSP practice.Various activities on intellectual outputs, multiplier events and lecturing will be carried out by all participating organizations. First, a MSP Arena will be developed. The Arena is an online platform for students, practitioners and lecturers for the exchange of information, data, documents, courses, projects and further offers that can be used, discussed and shared. Subsequently, a generic educational course module ‘Foundations of MSP’ will be developed and implemented at various universities. It aims towards the transnational and practical understanding of the governance and spatial planning of the marine environment. It will be composed of lectures, seminars and virtual colloquiums and optional joint excursions. Multiplier event sessions will be held to communicate and to widespread the SPMSP activities with representatives of other universities and institutions. Lastly, different teaching and training activities, as intensive programmes (i.e., also introducing the MSP Challenge serious gaming approach as core of a course unit), transnational research programmes (e.g. collaborative Bachelor / Master thesis), and a MSP Road Show for joint excursions and the short term mobilities for guest lecturer will complete the agenda. Annual project management meetings will assure coherence in project planning and implementation.SPMSP is to deliver new transnational learning strategies, develop new skills, exchange knowledge, simplify the access to information and add know-how to the rising topic of MSP driven by current EU policies. Outcomes of the project will have long lasting effects at and particularly after project lifetime.

The present perturbation of the atmospheric radiative balance on Earth, and hence the global climate, is mainly due to anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), both important contributors to the greenhouse effect (IPCC, 2001). Although CH4 is a trace gas, it contributes up to 20% of the greenhouse effect due to its high global warming potential (25 times more influential than CO2 over a 100 year timescale) that have resulted in atmospheric CH4 concentration doubling within the last 300 years (IPCC, 2007). Methane, which has a short residence time (~20 years) is rapidly oxidized to CO2 and H2O, implying that to sustain climate warming due to increasing CH4 requires a continuous supply (Legget, 1990). Sustained supplies must be provided by the potential sources including oceans, continental wetlands and permafrost (Haq, 1995). There are significant uncertainties on the amount of methane emitted and absorbed by the oceans. To overcome the limitation in spatial and temporal resolution of methane oceanic measurements, sensors are needed that can autonomously detect CH4-concentrations over longer periods of time. The proposed project is aimed at: • Designing molecular receptors for methane recognition (cryptophane-A and –111) and synthesizing new compounds allowing their introduction in polymeric structure (Task 1; LC, France); • Adapting, calibrating and validating the 2 available optical technologies, one of which serves as the reference sensor, for the in-situ detection and measurements of CH4 in the marine environments (Task 2 and 3; GET, LAAS-OSE, IOW). Boulart et al. (2008) showed that a polymeric film changes its bulk refractive index when methane docks on to cryptophane-A supra-molecules that are mixed in to the polymeric film. It is the occurrence of methane in solution, which changes either the refractive index measured with high resolution Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR; Chinowsky et al., 2003; Boulart et al, 2012b) or the transmitted power measured with differential fiber-optic refractometer (Boulart et al., 2012a; Aouba et al., 2012). • Using the developed sensors for the study of the CH4 cycle in relevant oceanic environment (the GODESS station in the Baltic Sea, Task 4 and 5; IOW, GET); GODESS registers a number of parameters with high temporal and vertical resolution by conducting up to 200 vertical profiles over 3 months deployment with a profiling platform hosting the sensor suite. • Quantifying methane fluxes to the atmosphere (Task 6); Monitoring of greenhouse-gas emissions such as CO2 and CH4 (GHG), is a world-wide concern, where UNESCO has a strong influence through the implementation of observatories. The conclusions of the workshop on anthropogenic GHG emissions organized by the UNESCO in 2006 clearly identified in-situ monitoring as an immediate action to better quantify GHG emissions. Clearly, the current project, which aims at developing in-situ aqueous gas sensors, provides the technological tool to achieve this. The aim is to bring the fiber- optic methane sensor on the TRL (Technology Readiness Level) from their current Level 3 – i.e. Analytical and laboratory studies to validate analytical predictions - to the Levels 5 and 6 - i.e. Component and/or basic sub-system technology validation in relevant sensing environments-, in comparison to the SPR methane sensor, taken as the reference sensor (TRL 4-5). This would lead to potential patent applications before further tests and commercialization. This will be achieved by the ensemble competences and contributions from the proposed consortium in this project. Our financial request is organized according to 6 Tasks with funds for 3 post-docs (Task 1 (LC), Task 2 and 3 (LAAS-OSE), Task 3 and 5 (IOW, GET)) and 1 engineer (Task 4 and 5 (IOW)), funds for the integration of the 2 methane sensors into the profiling GODESS station, and a provision for laboratory and field expenses, workshops and meetings, and publication fees.

KnowledgeFlows in Marine Spatial Planning - Sharing Innovation in Higher Education(KnowledgeFlows) aims at further enforcing the European higher education community to meet the growing demands for knowledge, skills and innovation within the still emerging field of marine or maritime spatial planning (MSP). Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is an emerging governmental approach towards a more effective use of the sea. MSP is of great interest in Europe and can be considered a societal process to balance conflicting interests of maritime stakeholders and the marine environment. Many different activities take place at sea, ranging from shipping, fisheries, to offshore wind energy activities. Simultaneously, new and evolving policies focus on strategies to integrate different marine demands in space and resources. MSP is now legally binding in the EU and is much needed approach to manage and organize the use of the sea, while also protecting the environment. KnowledgeFlows will contribute to the development of new innovative approaches to higher education and training on MSP by means of problem-based learning schemes, transdisciplinary collaboration, and advanced e-learning concepts. KnowledgeFlows builds on results from former project outputs (Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership for Marine Spatial Planning SP-MSP), such as the online learning platform MSP Education Arena (https://www.sp-msp.uol.de).The strategic partnership consists of a transnational network of experts both in research and in practice based in the north Atlantic, Baltic Sea and North Sea Regions including Aalborg University (DK, lead partner), The University of Oldenburg (D), the University of Liverpool (U.K.), the University of Nantes (F), the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (D), the Breda University of Applied Sciences (NL), University of Ulster (U.K.), and the Finnish Environment Institute (FI). Gothenburg University, also being a higher education organisation, will be associated partner.Furthermore, three international organisations, the Marine Spatial Planning Research Network, the Baltic inter-governmental VASAB and the pan-Nordic Nordregio will be involved in the partnership as associated organisations deeply rooted in the MSP community of practice.The further improvement of curricula, exchange of knowledge and experts, and transparency and recognition of learning outcomes to reach higher qualifications in MSP are key components of KnowledgeFlows. A mutual learning environment for MSP higher education will enable problem-driven innovation among students and their educators from research and governance also involving stakeholders. Related activities on intellectual outputs, multiplier events and lecturing will be carried out by all participating organisations.The intellectual outputs are related to three major contributions to the European higher education landscape:1) an advanced level international topical MSP course (Step-up MSP)2) digital learning facilities and tools (MSP Education Arena)3) designing problem-based learning in MSP (MSP directory)The advanced level inter-institutional topical MSP course will include different teaching and training activities within a problem-based learning environment. Digital learning facilities enabling communication and training will include a further enrichment of the MSP Education Arena platform for students, practitioners and lecturers for including modules forcollaborate learning activities, documentation and dissemination, mobilisation/recruitment, thesis opportunities, placements/internships. Designing problem-based learning in MSP will include topics as; the design of didactics and methods; guidance for lecturers, supervisors and students; evaluation and quality assurance; assessment.Five multiplier events back to back or as part of conferences within the MSP community will be organised to mainstream the outputs and innovative MSP didactics among other universities and institutions.Different teaching and training activities feeds into the intellectual output activities, which will include serious gaming sessions (MSP Challenge (http://www.mspchallenge.info/) and others), workshops, excursions, courses/classes as well as a conference with a specific focus on facilitating the exchange of innovative ideas and approaches among students at bachelor´s, master´s and doctoral level and the MSP community of practice.Project management meetings (twice a year) will assure coherence in project planning and implementation. As the core focus of the strategic partnership is on collaboration, mutual learning, and innovation among educators, students, and practitioners in order to meet actual and future needs regarding knowledge exchange and training within the MSP community, the project will be designed to have long lasting effects.

The landscapes that extended for millions of square kilometres offshore of the world’s coastlines due to low sea-level during the last glaciation and were then drowned by sea-level rise, are known to preserve valuable archives of landscapes, palaeoclimatic change and stratified archaeological remains, with the potential to transform understanding of human history in this period of dramatic change. The absence of archaeological sites across much of this vast area prevents realisation of this potential. In SUBNORDICA we propose a systematic approach to develop new methods for recreating the submerged landscapes and human settlement of NW Europe and assess the impact of postglacial sea-level rise. We will address two questions: (1) What changes to the topography and environment of the submerged landscape were brought about by rising sea level and climate change? (2) How was the distribution of archaeological settlements and other traces of cultural activity impacted by this changing palaeolandscape, and can we recover them in sufficient detail to investigate human impact and human response? Combining information from 4 regions in the southern North Sea and the southern Baltic, we will use artificial intelligence to develop machine-learning routines to (a) integrate existing and newly acquired geophysical and geological data to map key areas of the changing landscape, and (b) combine this information with data from known underwater archaeological sites to identify new targets of archaeological potential for more detailed investigation. Investigating these targets will use high-resolution geophysical methods, sediment coring, archaeological excavation, and geochronological, palaeoenvironmental, sedimentological and biological analyses of recovered deposits. We will reveal a new chapter in human prehistory, provide a world-leading model for the investigation of submerged landscapes, and offer improved policy guidance for underwater cultural heritage management.