Editorial: Sea dragons

This Editorial provides a framework for the entire volume of Europa XXI devoted to spatial development at sea and at the land-sea interface. It explains why conscious management of marine space is necessary, the benefits that it might provide, and the governance regimes that can be used. It discusses and compares maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal management as means of securing spatial order at sea and at the land-sea interface. Finally, it links together the remaining articles by explaining their added value in relation to one another; and their mutual relations.