A Bibliometric Analysis of Marine Spatial Planning Research Using Vosviewer

Abstract

Marine / Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) should be implemented to effectively regulate the activities carried out in the seas and to reduce pressures on the marine area by rationally managing natural resources. A quantitative analysis of scientific research on marine spatial planning is essential to fill critical knowledge gaps in the field, guide the development of appropriate policies and strategies, and strengthen the practice of sustainable marine spatial management. The aim of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the literature on the concept of marine spatial planning. The research was performed searching for the string “marine spatial planning” or "maritime spatial planning" on documents title, abstract and keywords. The first study on MSP was published in 2006. Until 2024, 1,654 publications on MSP were published. The number of publications per year showed an increasing trend throughout the research period. The journal 'Marine Policy' establishes itself as the premier source for MSP publications, publishing approximately 18%. Given the limited existing bibliometric analyses on MSP, the authors expect that this study will contribute to literature and guide future research.