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Systematic literature syntheses are a key element in the scientific realm, considering the steadily growing amount of available knowledge. Involving stakeholders in the research process brings a wide range of advantages, like broadening the perspectives on the problem in question, increasing the relevance of results for policy- and decision-making, the public and other end-users and thus enhancing the impact and acceptance of research. While participatory approaches are on the rise, reflections on stakeholder involvement in systematic syntheses on environmental management are scarce. We reflect on the process of involving stakeholders with expertise also from outside academia during three literature syntheses with different foci of marine and coastal ecosystem services in the Baltic Sea. Our analysis is based on notes, e-mails, minutes and recordings of internal project meetings, interviews and workshops involving both researchers and stakeholders. We discuss the challenges the participatory approach introduced and develop lessons learned to support the planning of stakeholder engagement for future literature syntheses. We conclude that stakeholder identification, communication, collaboration and knowledge translation are highly time- and resource-intensive processes. Furthermore, appropriate training and experience are necessary for the design, execution and evaluation of participatory methods tailored to each project stage. Therefore, we underline the importance of adequate consideration of the required resources during project planning and implementation. To encourage and support valuable stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange between the research community and actors of policy and practice, more appreciation of such efforts by funding institutions and within the wider scientific community is needed.

Marine ecosystems are highly dynamic and complex and contribute immensely to human well-being. Spatiotemporal overlaps of marine uses and human activities are constantly pressuring ecosystems, and that in turn impacts the supply quantity and quality of various ecosystem services (ES). This study is the first attempt to use the ES matrix to link marine uses and the capacity to supply ES. Combining expert- and literature-based evaluations, we assessed the relationships of twelve marine uses and five selected ecosystem services in the German North and Baltic Sea and mapped their spatial distribution. Despite a limited data availability and a higher need for simplification, the matrix approach proved to be applicable for the marine realm. Areas used for tourism and those that provide coastal safeguarding show high values of ES supply in comparison to areas used for sediment extraction and areas previously used as ammunition dumping areas. Nature conservation areas tend to have the highest capacity to supply ES. Differences in the ES supply pattern between the North Sea and Baltic Sea were identified. The results show the influence of anthropogenic activities on the spatial distribution of ES supply and can support future marine planning.