The Interactive Toolset Enables:
Seascape creation by users who can interactively add and relocate features in land and seascapes, in a Virtual Reality environment, and explain their reasons for siting and design, and report preferences.
Site level exploration used a simulator of aquaculture developments (by Norwegian University of Science and Technology), in a Virtual Reality environment, enabling the user to move around and within fish cages, populated by moving fish, and feeder systems.
Regional level analysis identifying designations, landscape characteristics and development guidance relevant to spatial planning, and explore consistency between terrestrial and marine environments, in a Google Earth interface.
Scientific findings:
Positive preferences of aquaculture in seascapes were associated with good stewardship, naturalness, and coherent locations of features
Stakeholder generated scenarios directed aquaculture development to sites where adjacent land is used for primary production (e.g. forestry, agriculture)
Stakeholders avoided areas close to leisure use (e.g. marinas), historic features (e.g. castles), housing, and areas perceived as ‘remote’, ‘wild’ or ‘natural’.
