MEsP 2.0

The MEsP 2.0 (Marine Ecosystem Performance framework) project builds on the results of the earlier MEsP research and takes the next step in developing a practical and scientifically sound business tool for the blue economy. The project focuses on refining and expanding the MEsP framework, enabling companies to assess both their impacts on and dependencies on marine ecosystems.

While MEsP 1.0 resulted in a proof of concept with a semi-quantitative scoring system, MEsP 2.0 strengthens this framework with more advanced methods for environmental impact assessment in the marine environment. The project aims to strike a balance between scientific robustness and usability, allowing companies to apply the tool across different project contexts and levels of data availability.

A key focus of MEsP 2.0 is capturing the complexity of marine ecosystems. The project goes beyond a purely spatial approach and takes into account processes and interactions across multiple dimensions, such as the seabed, water column and biota. Cumulative and indirect effects of offshore activities are also explicitly considered.

MEsP 2.0 also places strong emphasis on further digitalisation of the framework. A flexible and extensible IT architecture is being developed to integrate different assessment modules and to support users in an intuitive way. This lays the foundation for a future-proof software tool that can evolve alongside new insights and applications.

The project partners will organise an online introductory workshop on Tuesday, 24 March 2026. Interested in taking part? Register for the introductory workshop.