Growth of the blue economy will affect coastal ecosystems, altering human impacts, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions—transforming coastal societies in the process. The Coastal Barometer is intended to help find a good balance between growth, environmental conservation, and community well-being.
By: Emma Vogel, Vera Hausner and Anita Holmgren // UiT – The Arctic University of Norway
Per Fauchald // Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
Emerging marine industries will also influence local social systems, including wages, employment, and other socioeconomic conditions, reshaping how communities value and depend on their coastal ecosystems. As a result, blue growth is expected to bring about significant, long-lasting changes in coastal societies and ecosystems.
To address the sustainability challenges these transformations may present, it is important to examine them through a socio-ecological systems lens. By highlighting that coastal communities and ecosystems are mutually dependent, and interconnected in complex, dynamic ways, we also emphasise their potential to adapt.
Traditionally, sustainability has been presented as three separate entities (environmental, social and economic sustainability). However, the three entities are interdependent: social sustainability depends on a sustainable environment, and to achieve economic sustainability we depend on both social sustainability and a sustainable environment. It may therefore be better to present them as elements that build on each other. As illustrate by the pyramid above.
Below the pyramid model, the nine sustainability goals in the Coastal Barometer are positioned along the three sustainability dimensions, clockwise from 2 o’clock: Clean ocean, Biodiversity, Carbon storage, Food production from aquaculture, Food production from fishery, Tourism, Sense of place, Small-scale fisheries, and Employment and the economy. Diagrams from the Coastal Barometer website.
Against the backdrop of globalisation, industrial development, blue growth, and climate change, coastal communities worldwide face significant changes. Understanding these changes and navigating towards a sustainable future is essential. The Coastal Barometer provides a unique, context-specific perspective to monitor and evaluate northern Norway’s coastal sustainability amidst rapid blue growth. By integrating social and natural sciences, the Coastal Barometer examines how the blue economy’s expansion influences economic, social, and environmental sustainability goals. It compiles diverse datasets to develop nine sustainability indices for 81 coastal municipalities in northern Norway.
Northern Norway stands at the forefront of marine sector development, offering a valuable perspective for understanding the complexities of blue growth. The region’s deep cultural, social, and economic ties to the sea underscore its reliance on marine resources, which are integral to its livelihood and economy. As marine industries such as aquaculture, fishing, nature-based tourism, and energy sectors grow, northern Norway is a case study for observing the multifaceted impacts of this expansion. The region will require many informed decisions to ensure that this development and growth is sustainable.
Maps from the Coastal Barometer website showing three of the nine sustainability goals, and the degree to which each target is being reached at the 81 municipalities covered by the Barometer.
More information about how the indicators are calculated is available on the Coastal Barometer website. Screendumps from the Coastal Barometer website.
Ensuring sustainable development is a complex challenge. At its core, sustainability serves as a moral guideline, asking us to meet our own needs without compromising the ability of the environment, other current inhabitants and future generations to meet theirs. However, translating this moral guideline into measurable indicators of sustainability can be daunting. It requires a comprehensive approach that considers the intricate interplay between different societal goals at multiple scales. It entails questions such as: What resource or process is being sustained? For whom is it to be sustained? How long is it to be sustained? The answers to these questions help identify relevant variables from which to construct measurable indicators. Once these sustainability indicators are in place, they can not only guide systematic long-term monitoring but also decision-making, by offering knowledge about what actions might be required to improve sustainability.
The Coastal Barometer is a collaborative effort, co-created by local citizens and researchers to ensure that sustainability is viewed through a northern Norwegian lens. Researchers worked closely with local communities to develop nine sustainability indicators specifically tailored to the region’s unique context. The research team that adapted the Ocean Health Index to suit northern Norway’s specific conditions had backgrounds ranging from economics, sustainability, fisheries science, to marine ecology. This adaptation resulted in nine locally relevant sustainability indicators: Clean ocean, Biodiversity, Carbon storage, Food production from aquaculture, Food production from fishery, Tourism, Sense of place, Small-scale fisheries, Employment and the economy. These indicators are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and national policies, providing a comprehensive framework for assessing sustainability and ocean health for local communities, interest groups, and decision-makers.
The Coastal Barometer serves as an open-access digital platform, enabling users to explore sustainability trends across 81 coastal municipalities in northern Norway. It provides a foundation for knowledge-based public discussion around the direction of blue growth in the region. Its accessibility ensures that communities, policymakers, and stakeholders can continually engage with the data, fostering a dynamic approach to sustainable development.
A key focus of the Coastal Barometer is assessing sustainable food production through its indicators on food production from aquaculture, food production from fishery, and small-scale fisheries. Aquaculture, for example, plays a vital role in the economic landscape of Norway’s coastal regions, significantly impacting trade, employment, and local economies. The Coastal Barometer measures sustainable food production from aquaculture by considering factors such as feed use, escaping fish, salmon lice, and local pollution. For instance, sustainable feed use is defined as having no net loss of nutrients that could be used for human consumption, with all feed ingredients sustainably produced. By calculating these sub-indicators, the Barometer provides a clearer picture of the sustainability of food production at the municipal level.
Understanding how the expansion of marine industries impacts ocean health and shapes people’s perceptions and priorities regarding the benefits provided by coastal ecosystems is essential. As marine resources continue to gain importance, the link between these industries and ocean sustainability becomes a global concern. The Coastal Barometer acts as a catalyst for sustainable development by engaging local communities and offering a transparent view of sustainability trends. This empowers stakeholders to have informed conversations about their own sustainability challenges and make informed decisions for the future.
As northern Norway navigates the effects of blue growth, the Coastal Barometer can contribute valuable understanding of the costs and sustainability. This knowledge may not only benefit northern Norway, but also provide lessons for other regions worldwide facing similar challenges from blue growth in coastal communities.
Further reading
The Coastal Barometer is available in English and Norwegian.
Descriptions of the nine sustainability targets can be accessed via the link at the top of the web page.