these include bioregional classification coherent systems of marine protected or managed areas ocean zoning and fisheries management environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment ensure that proposed activities do not cause undue environmental degradation overall a key challenge remains integrating various management approaches undertaken by sectors into a comprehensive and cohesive plan with the ecosystem as its central framework marine spatial planning msp is one approach that can help countries undertake this task and it is gaining considerable popularity similarly to integrated coastal zone management it provides for operationalizing an ecosystem approach through a planning process involving all stakeholders