The Ocean is the largest ecosystem on the planet, supporting millions of people's livelihood. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are key to guarantee Ocean resilience. About 62 % of the Ocean surface coincide with areas 200 miles from coastlines, called areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). However, MPAs in ABNJ are only 1,18 % of the high seas. Stakeholder involvement is a keystone in the governance process. This is of particular importance in Macaronesia, and the need for compatibility between human activities and conservation, through the synergetic engagement of the local-maritime community. The present paper aims to develop a MPA proposal in the ABNJ context through expert consultation. The proposal was built upon the analysis of the Macaronesia region study case. Results show that there is no integrated international body to fully address the range of problems to be tackled, therefore the option to use the Conference of Parties model seems to be adequate. Considering Macaronesia region specific features, the conclusion is that select local focal points in each archipelago to enhance the local maritime community is essential. Furthermore, it would be necessary to implement Working Groups, rotative between archipelagos, to address different solutions for local conservation practices. Moreover, clear communication is fundamental since the very beginning to guarantee visibility and transparency.

In early 2021, the Erasmus+ knowledge flows partnership organised a session to discuss the future of marine spatial planning (MSP) at an international conference. We, a group of nine early career researchers, came together after the conference to continue the discussion: which topics should be considered in future MSP, what are the challenges, and which solutions are there to overcome these challenges? This communication shall raise awareness of the topics of climate change, ecological sustainability, blue justice, ecosystem services, and blue governance, which we identified as important for future MSP endeavours. We show the interconnectedness of the topics and argue that transdisciplinary education is required to contribute to a common understanding of MSP, which adopts an ecosystem-based approach, ensures equitable distribution of benefits, and secures ecologically sustainable development within an adaptive governance framework.

Maritime spatial planning (MSP) has evolved to incorporate features like authoritative, participatory, ecosystem-based, integrated, future-oriented, and adaptive approaches. MSP seeks a balance between maritime activities and sustainable development within ecological limits, an ecosystem-based approach (EBA). A trade-off in the context of MSP refers to the compromise or exchange between different objectives, interests, or uses of marine resources and space. The aim of this paper is to provide methodological guidelines for applying a trade-off methodology for marine protected areas (MPAs) design within the MSP context. The guidelines have developed participatory-based trade-off scenarios to weigh the impacts of the multi-objective spatial and strategic management measures, using participatory mapping, providing a valuable framework for design of MSP and MPAs. The lessons learned and recommendations provided aim to guide future MSP endeavours, emphasising the importance of continuous improvement, innovation, and adaptation in the dynamic field of MSP for sustainable marine management and conservation.