In this respect, the European Marine Strategy and the draft Maritime Spatial Planning Strategy, in development, stress the need to achieve the full economic potential of oceans and seas in harmony with the marine environment, on the basis of a concerted definition of research needs and priorities leading to a more effective integration of knowledge and resources. These strategies call particular attention to:
- Promoting new and interdisciplinary skills and innovation capacities
- Integration across marine and maritime research disciplines
- Optimise the use of existing research infrastructures
- Foster knowledge and technology transfer
- Promote synergies at national & regional level
- Mobilise national and regional funding to reach a critical mass to address marine re search
- challenges
Definitely, a better understanding of the seas nature and conditions will revert in a better and more sustainable exploitation of them, and it is here where research arises s an element of the utmost importance. In other words, research has to be raised as the main element to reconcile -promotion of sustainable economic growth"and -environmental conservation". Research, at the end, is the link that improves the relationship between the marine and maritime elements of seas and oceans, enabling moreover knowledge based policy making.
