Resource Conflict and Governance in the Transition to a More Just Estuarine and Coastal Future

We are at a pivotal moment in the future of our ocean. Exponential industrialization due to a blue growth agenda looks to the ocean to deliver food, energy, and raw materials. Disputes over the appropriation and exploitation of natural resources are ubiquitous but are likely to increase in frequency and intensity. We can carry on with established ‘ways of doing’ which risk embedding management processes which result in conflicts that become increasingly hard to untangle, or we can choose to set a precedent for a more just and equitable ocean future. This chapter provides an overview of the state of the art relating to marine and coastal conflict research and explores how governance may be able to set the stage for a step change in resource use and protection.