摘要：The Maritime Spatial Plan for Internal Waters, Territorial Waters and Economic Exclusive Zone ofthe Republic of Latvia is a long-term spatial planning document, which defines the permitteduses of the sea and conditions for development. Work on maritime spatial planning (MSP) inLatvia was a novel process from different aspects including incorporation of the concept ofecosystem services (ES) into MSP. In the course of the MSP process, marine ES were mappedand assessed, and impacts of proposed spatial solutions for the use of the sea were assessed.The scope of mapping and assessment of ES was limited by data availability and expertknowledge on marine ecosystems. MSP in Latvia was an open and transparent process withan active involvement of different stakeholder groups. Marine ES assessment results werevisualized and used during the public consultations to highlight the marine areas providingthe most significant social benefits as well as to facilitate debate about potential impactsarising from proposed uses of the sea. The marine ES approach, in a spatially explicit manner,provided stakeholders and policymakers with a strategic framework to address a complexsocial–ecological system.
