By Jillian Eller
Wave and tidal marine energy technologies have vast potential to generate electricity in coastal areas. They are currently being developed and explored for uses such as desalinating seawater, powering scientific research equipment, supporting aquaculture operations, and supplying energy to remote communities. The Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC) is advancing wave and tidal marine energy for powering the blue economy by connecting with stakeholders interested in the use, management, and conservation of coastal and marine environments. However, involving stakeholders in marine energy topics is complicated by the emerging nature of wave and tidal energy and the range of stakeholders’ understanding, from those who have never heard of it to experts in the field. To address this, the AMEC Stakeholder Engagement Team is utilizing a marine spatial planning (MSP) board game to introduce participants to marine energy.
Board games are a tool to engage people in discussions about emerging marine energy.
The MSP Challenge board game introduces players to the marine sectors, pressures, and tradeoffs involved in planning by guiding them through a fictional scenario. Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a process for managing the marine and coastal environment, covering traditional marine industries as well as emerging uses of space, such as marine wave and tidal energy. The game was initially developed in the Netherlands to support learning about marine planning and governance. Now, AMEC uses the MSP Challenge to facilitate interactive engagement, inviting people from various backgrounds to learn about key planning concepts that integrate marine wave and tidal energy with other priorities, such as fishing, shipping, and even public infrastructure.
AMEC Stakeholder Engagement Team member, Jillian Eller, facilitates engagement opportunities using the MSP Challenge board game.
The value of playing the MSP Challenge extends to a broad range of individuals:
● Those directly involved or interested in maritime activities and coastal issues are introduced to concepts of integrated planning and emerging development in the wave and tidal marine energy sectors.
● Anyone who works in or takes part in coastal and marine planning benefits by gaining insights into considerations for new uses of space introduced by the marine energy sector and decision-making.
● Researchers and developers of wave and tidal marine energy gain a fresh perspective on siting considerations that can inform the sector’s advancement, including planning for wave and tidal energy end users.
The MSP Challenge allows participants to learn about spatial planning through hands-on experience and find out how marine energy fits into the landscape.
The AMEC Stakeholder Engagement Team is seeking to partner with groups and organizations along the United States’ Atlantic coast interested in hosting an interactive workshop session featuring the MSP Challenge through May 2026. Our team will provide the game and facilitate it on-site, while host organizations will gather participants. The game can only be played in person with groups of 12-30 players over the age of eighteen, and gameplay takes up to 3.5 hours. Groups involved with a broad range of coastal or marine uses, management, or conservation are an ideal fit for the issues presented in the game. Gameplay supports the AMEC Stakeholder Engagement Team’s efforts and contributes to research examining marine energy stakeholder engagement in planning. Email team member, Jillian Eller, at ellerj22@students.ecu.edu, if you’re interested in learning whether the MSP Challenge is the right fit for your organization or group!
Participants develop a better understanding of ocean planning by playing the MSP Challenge and have reported enjoying the experience because of the insights they gained about marine energy. Photo credit: Tina Ortega
