Dr Stephen Jay BSc, MA, MA, PhD, MRTPI

I have carried out a number of research projects into the emerging systems of marine spatial planning, including European Union-funded projects focused on the European Atlantic region. These projects focus on the governance and technical arrangements for cross-border collaboration in planning shared sea areas in Europe's Atlantic seas. I am leading on the university's contribution to the most recent of these, in which we are exploring the institutional dynamics of land-sea interaction.

I am particularly interested in theoretical aspects of this new endeavour, including tracing the conceptual origins of marine planning and the need to develop less rationalistic and more responsive approaches within settings as dynamic and uncertain as the sea. I am currently drawing on post-structuralist interpretations of space and marine geographies, enabling development of the idea of 'lively space and immersed planning'. Recent writing includes an exploration of Deleuze & Guatarri's concept of striated and smooth space. My current writing is focusing on the experiential engagement of planners with the marine milieu.

I have also carried out research in connection with the European-funded projects for the Baltic region, and studies into the first plan to be produced for Germany's exclusive economic zone. I have been a member of Liverpool's ESPON team that explored development opportunities and risks for European seas, and have investigated the development of offshore wind energy in the UK and other European countries.

I am a co-founder of the Marine Spatial Planning Research Network http://www.msprn.net/ which regularly organises seminars on critical thinking in the field. We are currently exploring cultural aspects of marine planning, and how consideration of these might inform planning outputs.

I and my team are co-organising a number of international online events to encourage the uptake of marine planning, working with partners in Israel, South Africa, Ghana and Japan, with a view to ongoing collaboration. This includes supporting the work of the Abidjan Convention for the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Atlantic Coast of Africa.

I would be happy to hear from potential research collaborators and PhD students with similar interests.