PPGIS‐Mapping of Coastal‐Marine Recreation: Participatory Tool for Increasing Ocean Literacy in Planning and Management?

Increased ocean literacy is needed not only in relation to formal education, the public, and industry, but also in policy, planning, and management of coastal and marine areas. While environmental data is often available, there is a need to also understand the human recreational uses, experiences, benefits, and problems linked to the ocean and integrating this into planning. This article discusses public participation geographical information system (PPGIS)‐mapping as a potential participatory method in ocean literacy, focusing on knowledge exchange in the public‐planning interface based on a Norwegian case study. The Oslo Fjord in Norway is impacted by environmental degradation, increasing urbanization, accessibility problems, and user conflicts, and the Norwegian Ministry of Environment is preparing a comprehensive plan for the fjord involving 26 municipalities with 1.7 million inhabitants. A lack of recreation data was identified, and a PPGIS survey was conducted. The results (12,445 responses) provide extensive quantitative and qualitative knowledge of recreational uses combined with spatial mapping. Participation in fjord‐oriented recreation activities was high (71%) and provided health benefits, but 27% perceived problems related to accessibility, environment, or other users. In addition, mapping and open‐ended questions provided detailed information on specific problems and user‐generated suggestions on solutions. This study in coastal Norway helps to demonstrate how a PPGIS‐mapping approach can be used as a tool for coastal and marine management and planning and how, more broadly, a public participation mapping approach can be used to increase ocean literacy among community members, planners, managers, and policy makers. We discuss how experience‐based knowledge and mapping by recreationists may link to the 10 ocean literacy dimensions. Adding geospatial mapping data to the wider concept and field of ocean literacy research may provide new insights and understanding of ocean literacy dimensions and how social science may contribute to more sustainable ocean policy, planning, and management.