Stephen Jay is a senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool, UK, in the Department of Geography and Planning, where he specialises in marine spatial planning.He has carried out a number of research projects into the emerging systems of marine spatial planning; he is currently involved in teh European projects Supporting Implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the Celtic Seas and has led the consortium for Transboundary Planning in the European Atlantic.He is a member of the team offering support to European Union countries on the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, the MSP Platform, leading on the Atlantic focal point.He is a co-founder of the Marine Spatial Planning Research Network which regularly organises seminars on critical thinking in the field.He is interested in theoretical aspects of this new endeavour for planning, including tracing the conceptual origins of marine planning and the need to develop less rationalistic and more responsive approaches within settings as dynamic and uncertain such as the sea. He is director for the MSc in Marine Planning and Management, and a partner in the European Strategic Partnership in Marine Spatial Planning, developing higher education capacity in marine planning and exchange opportunities for students.