For anyone following the news, it is clear that geopolitics is back to stay. After years of reasonable quiet on the diplomatic front, conflict over space and resources has re-emerged as a serious problem. Oceans and coasts figure prominently in the geopolitics of our era. Areas in the East and South China Seas and the Black Sea are heavily contested by various nation states, while the Arctic, with its proven oil reserves, is another obvious realm of contestation, with adjacent countries vying to stake their respective claims and environmental movements trying hard to restrict the anticipated damage.

In addition to such spectacular instances, however, there are many other, smaller incidents involving strategic behavior over aquatic space by states and non-state actors alike. This conference strives to examine such events and processes, from a variety of social science perspectives and to learn from them. Important questions to raise are: What does anthropology have to say about fishing conflicts? How to understand the politics of oil exploration and the designation of offshore wind parks? What implications does large-scale migration across the Mediterranean have for security and the stability of the region? How does marine spatial planning change the power balances between (offshore) states?

In addition to the theme of geopolitics, the People and the Sea VIII conference is open to those with more classical interests. These are included in the six streams, but do not hesitate to apply, even if your topic does not fit neatly into one of them. We always make room for the innovative and the maverick.

Conference streams:

• Stream 1: Geopolitics of the oceans
  
• Stream 2: Maritime governance
  
• Stream 3: Social Relations and Culture
  
• Stream 4: Fisheries management
  
• Stream 5: Knowledge production
  
• Stream 6: Coastal threats and vulnerability