Presentation short abstract

The Catalan coast, particularly Cap de Creus, is a contested socio-ecological frontier where capitalist dynamics and local resistances converge. Using socio-ecological network analysis and the IPBES valuation framework, this study examines conflicts, values, and governance toward equitable futures

Presentation long abstract

The sea and coastline of Catalonia constitute contested socio-ecological frontiers where multiple forms of territorialization converge. These coastal zones have become arenas in which capitalist dynamics seek to consolidate control through urban expansion, mass tourism, and the commodification of marine and coastal resources. Such processes, however, encounter resistance from local communities, artisanal fishers, environmental organizations, and grassroots movements that mobilize to defend the territory, recover traditional ecological knowledge, and promote more just and sustainable relationships with the sea. This paper conceptualizes the Catalan coast, and specifically the Natural Park of Cap de Creus, as a space of conflict and negotiation, where competing socio-ecological models and ontologies of nature and territory intersect. Methodologically, the study applies socio-ecological network analysis (SEN) to map and characterize the relationships among actors, institutions, and ecological components shaping coastal governance in Catalonia. This approach allows for the identification of key nodes, power relations, and patterns of cooperation or conflict within the coastal socio-ecological system. Building on this structural analysis, we incorporate an IPBES-informed valuation framework to capture the diversity of values, disvalues, and worldviews that underpin actors’ interactions with the marine and coastal environment. This integrative design enables a multidimensional understanding of conflicts—not only as struggles over resources or decision-making power, but also as expressions of differing value systems and ontological assumptions. By linking network metrics with qualitative valuation insights, the analysis seeks to inform governance pathways that are more equitable, plural, and ecologically grounded.