| Since its inception in 2001, the international MARE People and the Sea conference has established itself as one of the leading interdisciplinary forums for debate and learning in the realm of maritime and coastal research and policy. The conference series started out with ambitions to clarify and catalyze contributions from the social sciences in improving understanding of complex maritime issues. Its success quickly engaged a wide range of scholars from other disciplines too, and current participation boasts one of the most globally diverse combinations of scholars, policy makers and practitioners working on maritime issues today. Each biennial event brings together some of the world’s best known academics with scholarly talent from a diverse range of countries, with north and south equally represented. In recent years, the inclusion of a specially organized policy day as part of the conference has facilitated even greater influence on maritime policy at an international level. The 2009 conference is the fifth in the series and builds on previous conference outcomes that have clearly placed the capabilities of social sciences on the agenda of wider maritime interests. This conference bridges several debates on coastal change and questions how people, around the globe, are tackling the challenge of living with uncertain futures and adapting, or not, to a myriad of changes. |
