Blue Economy
Cf.
A Sketch of Issues and Concerns
| Category | Concern/Issue | Description/Notes | Example Relationships Over Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal | Maritime Jurisdiction & Sovereignty | Overlapping claims, EEZ disputes, unclear boundaries | May escalate with resource discoveries |
| Legal | Regulatory Compliance | Varying national/international laws, enforcement challenges | New tech may outpace regulation |
| Legal | Intellectual Property | Patents for marine biotech, data ownership | Tech advances create new IP disputes |
| Environmental | Biodiversity Loss | Overfishing, habitat destruction, invasive species | Cumulative impacts worsen over time |
| Environmental | Pollution | Plastics, oil spills, chemical runoff, noise | Pollution accumulates, affects food chains |
| Environmental | Climate Change Impacts | Ocean acidification, sea level rise, warming | Feedback loops with ecosystem health |
| Technical | Data Gaps & Monitoring | Lack of real-time data, limited ocean mapping | Tech improvements may reduce gaps |
| Technical | Infrastructure Limitations | Ports, energy grids, undersea cables | Investment may lag behind economic growth |
| Technical | Technology Transfer & Access | Unequal access to marine tech between nations | May widen development gaps |
| Ethical | Equity & Benefit Sharing | Fair distribution of resources, indigenous rights | Tensions may rise with resource scarcity |
| Ethical | Labor Rights & Safety | Working conditions in fisheries, shipping, offshore platforms | Automation may reduce or shift risks |
| Economic | Resource Overexploitation | Unsustainable extraction of fish, minerals, energy | Short-term gains vs. long-term losses |
| Economic | Market Volatility | Price swings for marine products, investment risks | Linked to global economic trends |
| Social | Community Displacement | Loss of livelihoods, cultural impacts | May increase with large-scale projects |
| Social | Food Security | Reliance on marine protein, impacts of stock decline | Linked to environmental and economic factors |
| Governance | Stakeholder Coordination | Conflicting interests among governments, industry, NGOs, communities | Coordination needs grow with sector expansion |
| Governance | Transparency & Accountability | Corruption, lack of public participation | Improved by digital tools, but not guaranteed |
Data Sources
Lee, Simone Michelle, and Juliana Castaño-Isaza. 2022. “Blue Economy Data and Tools Guidance Note.” Washington: World Bank Group. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/en/099610006152282116.
Getting to know the blue economy through open data | data.europa.eu{width: 700px}
Blue Economy - CRFM Data Portal
NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | Satellite View of the Blue Economy
The Globe of Economic Complexity: Visualize $15 Trillion of World Exports
Visualisations
Types
- network
- Sankey or timeline
Networks
Frohlich, Miguel, Pedro Fidelman, Ian Dutton, Marcus Haward, Brian W. Head, Dianne Maynard, David Rissik, and Joanna Vince. 2023. “A Network Approach to Analyse Australia’s Blue Economy Policy and Legislative Arrangements.” Marine Policy 151:105588. https://doi.org/10/g9sfz2.
References
Bhati, Madhulika, Floris Goerlandt, and Ronald Pelot. 2025. “Digital Twin Development towards Integration into Blue Economy: A Bibliometric Analysis.” Ocean Engineering 317:119781. https://doi.org/10/g9sfzz.
Wuwung, Lucky, Freya Croft, Dominique Benzaken, Kamal Azmi, Camille Goodman, Constance Rambourg, and Michelle Voyer. 2022. “Global Blue Economy Governance – A Methodological Approach to Investigating Blue Economy Implementation.” Frontiers in Marine Science 9:1043881. https://doi.org/10/gsbxgs.
Martínez-Vázquez, Rosa María, Juan Milán-García, and Jaime de Pablo Valenciano. 2021. “Challenges of the Blue Economy: Evidence and Research Trends.” Environmental Sciences Europe 33 (1): 61. https://doi.org/10/gr92qs.
Hauser, Danièle, Saleh Abdalla, Fabrice Ardhuin, Jean-Raymond Bidlot, Mark Bourassa, David Cotton, Christine Gommenginger, et al. 2023. “Satellite Remote Sensing of Surface Winds, Waves, and Currents: Where Are We Now?” Surveys in Geophysics 44 (5): 1357–1446. https://doi.org/10/gr42g6.