Since its inception in 2001, the international MARE People and the Sea conference has established itself as one of the leading interdisciplinary forums for debate and learning in the realm of maritime and coastal research and policy. The conference series started out with ambitions to clarify and catalyze contributions from the social sciences in improving understanding of complex maritime issues. Its success quickly engaged a wide range of scholars from other disciplines too, and current participation boasts one of the most globally diverse combinations of scholars, policy makers and practitioners working on maritime issues today.Each biennial event brings together some of the world