160 27 A REVIEW OF MARINE ECOTOURISM WITHIN SUSTAINABLE BLUE ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT K. Ogunsusi Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental Management, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria Correspondence email: k.ogunsusi@oaustech.edu.ng ABSTRACT Potential growth abounds in the marine ecotourism sub-sector of the blue economy of Nigeria to make it contribute to the achievement of sustainable development imperatives. Marine ecotourism can contribute to the blue economy by providing an economic incentive to improve ocean management and the services it provides for delivering local benefits for social, economic, cultural and ecological wellbeing in a sustainable manner. For marine ecotourism to achieve all these imperatives it needs to be viewed as part of the overall tourism system in Nigeria. To transform tourism, inclusive models and policy frameworks are needed to create productive links between the industry and other sectors. For existing and new developments of marine ecotourism, the interaction with other sectors in the marine environment must be factored into planning to enable transition to a blue economy. Keywords: Blue economy, ecotourism, marine environment, development. INTRODUCTION According to the UNWTO (2002), ecotourism involves observation and appreciation of nature, education, environmental protection, and community engagement. It typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. It integrates ecological protection with the social and economic development of local communities. Ecotourism is tourism directed towards exotic, often threatened natural environments, intended to support conservation efforts and to observe wildlife. Ecotourism is intended to offer tourists an insight into the impact of human beings on the environment and to foster a greater appreciation of our natural habitats. Types of ecotourism typically include eco-lodging, agro-tourism, community development, and eco-tours (where marine ecotourism resides). Most of Nigeria’s coastal environments are accessible for recreation. Nigeria’s marine environment has the potential to attract both international and domestic visitors and could be a key feature of the nation’s visitors’ offer. Some sense of the importance of marine environments in tourism can be gained from cruise ship expenditure, scenic boat trip, beach tourism, view of animals in their natural habitats. While ecotourism is based on enabling people to experience the natural environment in a manner that is consistent with the principles of sustainable development (Stronza et al., 2019), marine ecotourism is about attempting to establish and maintain a symbiotic relationship between tourism and the natural environment (Spenceley, 2017). There are growing calls for regenerative principles to be applied to rebuild a more sustainable tourism system, and well managed marine ecotourism has the potential to be a significant part of this. Apart from the ability of marine ecotourism at reducing environmental impacts of tourism, it equally has the capacity to provide alternative means of livelihood to coastal communities. There is, therefore, a need to explore the potentials of marine ecotourism in order to grow the sub-sector and ensure that it can achieve sustainable development imperatives within the framework of the Blue economy. Hence, a review on marine ecotourism support for the Blue economy and the interactions of marine ecotourism with other sectors of the blue economy for sutainable development.