Climate change in the marine environment is having a substantial impact on marine 32 ecosystems, and there is an extensive body of literature evaluating these impacts (see 33 Harley et al., 2006;Hoegh-guldberg, 2010; Pörtner et al., 2014). Climate change as a 34 stressor on the marine environment operates at a global scale and therefore cannot be 35 removed locally (Micheli et al., 2012). Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as spatially explicit 36 conservation tools cannot directly influence all impacts of climate change affecting 37 species and habitat traits, however, MPAs are still a useful tool in climate change 38 adaptation and mitigation (Côté and Darling, 2010; McLeod et al., 2009). The predicted climate change impacts on marine ecosystems: temperature increases, 41 rising sea levels, ocean acidification, changing circulation patterns, changes in weather 42 conditions and dissolved oxygen levels (Hoegh-guldberg, 2010; Pörtner et al., 2014), can 43 directly and indirectly affect species distributions and abundances, community 44 composition, habitat quality, and changes in population dynamics (Cheung et al., 2009; 45 Harley et Lawler, 2009). The cumulative effects of climate change and 46 anthropogenic drivers, (e.g. fishing) can lead to complex patterns of change and result in 47 enhanced vulnerability of natural and human systems (Halpern et al., 2008; Pörtner et al., 48 2014). At an ecosystem level, interactions between climate change impacts and fishing 49 can enhance diversity loss in benthic communities (Griffith et al., 2011) and promote a 50 change in ecosystem structure (Kirby et al., 2009). Additionally, the truncating effect of 51 fishing on age and size structure of populations can lower population recruitment 52 variability and reduce their ability to buffer environmental fluctuations (Perry et al., 53 2010). Protection of marine biodiversity from local stressors, such as fishing, can enhance the 56 resilience of species and habitats to climate change impacts (Micheli et al., 2012). 57 Mitigation of global climate change may also be enhanced by protecting habitat areas 58 that contribute to carbon sequestration, including mangroves, seagrasses, and salt 59 marshes (Crooks et al., 2011). However, the low predictability and variability of 60 ecosystems to climate change may undermine the effectiveness of conservation 61 measures (Pörtner et al., 2014). As a result, there have been numerous calls to consider 62 climate change in the establishment of MPAs to ensure marine biodiversity is protected 63 effectively under future climatic scenarios (McLeod et al., 2009;Salm et al., 2006

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Significant progress has been made towards implementing Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks in UK waters, with Scotland successfully designating 30 new Scottish MPA sites in July 2014. This paper reviews the Scottish MPA process up to the point of implementation, summarising the process that led to the designation of the MPA network. In particular, this paper investigates the extent to which the process i) effectively engaged stakeholders; ii) used ecological guiding principles; and iii) considered climate change. In doing so, this paper highlights several key issues if the Scottish MPA network is to move beyond an administrative exercise and is able to make a meaningful contribution to marine biodiversity protection for Europe: i) fully adopt best practice ecological principles ii) ensure effective protection and iii) explicitly consider climate change in the management, monitoring and future iterations of the network.

Ocean-and coastal-based economic activities are increasingly recognised as key drivers for supporting global economies. This move towards the "blue economy" is becoming globally widespread, with the recognition that if ocean-based activities are to be sustainable, they will need to move beyond solely extractive and exploitative endeavours,

Sustainable development principles are based on the fundamental recognition of humans as an integral part of the ecosystem. Participation of civil society should therefore be central to marine planning processes and enabling ecosystem-based management, and development of mechanisms for effective participation is critical. To date, little attention has been given to the role of Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (ENGOs) in public participation. In this paper, the results of two workshops which involved various stakeholders and addressed public participation in marine planning, are reported and discussed in the context of the Scottish marine planning process. ENGOs' role in communicating complex policies, representing members' interests and contributing towards participatory governance in marine planning is highlighted. Innovative outreach methods are still required by decision-makers to translate technical information, integrate local knowledge, improve public representation and conserve resources. This could include collaboration with ENGOs to help promote public participation in decision-making processes.

As international pressure for marine protection has increased, Scotland has increased spatial protection through the development of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) network. Few MPA networks to date have included specific considerations of climate change in the design, monitoring or management of the network. The Scottish MPA network followed a feature-led approach to identify a series of MPAs across the Scottish marine area and incorporated the diverse views of many different stakeholders. This feature led approach has led to wide ranging opinions and understandings regarding the success of the MPA network. Translating ideas of success into a policy approach whilst also considering how climate change may affect these ideas of success is a complex challenge. This paper presents the results of a Delphi process that aimed to facilitate clear communication between academics, policy makers and stakeholders in order to identify specific climate change considerations applicable to the Scottish MPA network. This study engaged a group of academic and non-academic stakeholders to discuss potential options that could be translated into an operational process for management of the MPA network. The results of Delphi process discussion are presented with the output of a management matrix tool, which could aid in future decisions for MPA management under scenarios of climate change.

Understanding life stage connectivity is essential to define appropriate spatial scales for fisheries management and develop effective strategies to reduce undersized bycatch. Despite many studies of population structure and connectivity in marine fish, most management units do not reflect biological populations and protection is rarely given to juvenile sources of the fished stock. Direct, quantitative estimates that link specific fishing grounds to the nursery areas, which produced the caught fish are essential to meet these objectives. Here we develop a continuous-surface otolith microchemistry approach to geolocate whiting (Merlangius merlangus) and infer life stage connectivity across the west coast of the UK. We show substantial connectivity across existing stock boundaries and identify the importance of the Firth of Clyde nursery area. This approach offers fisheries managers the ability to account for the benefits of improved fishing yields derived from spatial protection while minimising revenue loss.

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