Spatially Prioritizing Seafloor Mapping for Coastal and Marine Planning

Coastal and marine areas provide vital services to support the economic, cultural, recreational, and ecological needs of human communities, but sustaining these benefits necessitates a balance between growing and often competing uses and activities. Minimizing coastal zone conflict and reducing human-induced impacts to ecological resources requires access to consistent spatial information on the distribution and condition of marine resources. Seafloor mapping provides a detailed and reliable spatial template on the structure of the seafloor that has become a core data need for many resource management strategies. The absence of detailed maps of the seafloor hinders the effectiveness of priority setting in marine policy, regulatory processes, and marine stewardship. For large management areas, the relatively high cost of seafloor mapping and limited management budgets requires careful spatial prioritization. In order to address this problem, a consensus based approach, aided by decision-support tools, and participatory geographic information systems (GIS), was implemented in Long Island Sound to spatially prioritize locations, define additional data collection efforts needed, and identify products needed to inform decision-making. The methodology developed has utility for other states and regions in need of spatially prioritizing activities for coastal planning, and organizations charged with providing geospatial services to communities with broad informational needs.     

软土地基上新型港工结构及其相关问题研究

在我国渤海湾沿岸、连云港以南苏北沿海、长江口、杭州湾、闽江口、韩江口、珠江口和海南岛西北部等很多沿海地区,广泛分布着软弱土地基。为适应深水、软土地基条件,近些年来研究开发了一些新型港口海岸工程结构,主要可分为轻型重力式结构、筒型基础结构、深水全直桩结构和导管-桩基结构等几类。论文给出了模拟这些结构力学特性的有限元数值模型,提出了结构极限承载力分析的加载系数法、土体强度折减法及相关简化计算方法,分析了各类结构的承载特性及其破坏模式,建议了有待进一步研究的问题。     

Valuing Estuarine Resource Services Using Economic and Ecological Models: The Peconic Estuary System Study

This article summarizes four integrated economic studies undertaken to contribute to resource preservation and restoration decisions for the Peconic Estuary System of Suffolk County, NY. Completed as part of the National Estuary Program, the studies apply distinct resource valuation methods to a wide range of resource issues. The principal goals of this article are to highlight different methodologies that may be used to assess nonmarket economic values in a coastal management context, and characterize differences in the results that one may expect from each approach. We also emphasize potential relationships among values estimated by different nonmarket methodologies, and comment on the implications of these relationships for the interpretation and use of economic value estimates.     

Challenges in Collaborative Governance for Coastal Restoration: Lessons from the Caernarvon River Diversion in Louisiana

In an effort to restore deteriorating coastal wetlands in Breton Sound, Louisiana, a diversion of Mississippi River water into the estuarine ecosystem has been operated at Caernarvon, Louisiana, since 1991. The diversion was implemented after a relatively long collaborative planning process beginning in the 1950s. The Caernarvon Interagency Advisory Committee, an official panel of stakeholders, considers scientific aspects of the freshwater inflow and stakeholder inputs in developing an operational plan, which internalizes stakeholder conflicts, while accomplishing goals of restoring the coastal ecosystem. Even though fishery representatives are committee members, local oyster fishers filed lawsuits in federal and state courts from 1994 through 2005, claiming damages to their oyster beds. These lawsuits were initially successful in state courts but were reversed by the Louisiana Supreme Court. The federal suits were unsuccessful. Following these lawsuits, voters in Louisiana in 2000 amended the State Constitution to protect coastal restoration projects against lawsuits reflecting increase in overall statewide support. Increasing scientific knowledge has contributed significantly to diversion operation. For better collaborative governance, efforts to increase common understanding among stakeholders will be needed, and a process to compensate interests of stakeholders suffering from impacts of restoration projects at an earlier stage should be institutionalized.     

A Preliminary Review of NOAA's Community-Based Dam Removal and Fish Passage Projects

Dams and other stream blockages prevent anadromous fish from accessing large areas of key habitat. The NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program (CRP) supports habitat restoration projects, including 53 dam removal and fish passage projects from 1996 to 2002. This article provides a preliminary review of the biological benefits provided by the first 18 CRP dam removal and fish passage projects supported between 1996 and 1999. These 18 projects improved access to over 160 km of river habitat for many anadromous fish species, especially river herring (Alosa spp.) on the east coast and salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) on the west coast. While fish ladders provide targeted fish species access to key habitat areas, dam removal can improve the health of entire stream ecosystems and provide fish passage to fish species unable to utilize ladders. The CRP complements existing federal regulatory programs by providing a cooperative process at the local level that can restore habitats efficiently and effectively while encouraging long-term stewardship.     

Considering “Coastal Carbon” in Existing U.S. Federal Statutes and Policies

Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrasses provide important ecosystem services, including nursery habitat for fish, shoreline protection, and the recently recognized service of carbon sequestration and storage. When these wetland ecosystems are degraded or destroyed, the carbon can be released to the atmosphere, where it adds to the concentration of greenhouses gases (GHGs) that contribute to climate change. Many federal statutes and policies specifically require that impacts on ecosystem services be considered in policy implementation. Yet, no federal statute, regulation, or policy accounts directly for the carbon held in coastal habitats. There are a number of federal statutes and policies for which coastal carbon ecosystem services could reasonably be added to environmental and ecosystem considerations already implemented. We look at a subset of these statutes and policies to illustrate how coastal carbon ecosystem services and values might affect the implementation and outcomes of such statutes generally. We identify key steps for the inclusion of the ecosystem services of coastal habitats into the implementation of existing federal policies without statutory changes; doing so would increase the degree to which these policies consider the full economic and ecological impacts of policy actions.     

Estuary Management and Recreational Fishing Benefits

Recognition of the benefits to society supported by estuary ecosystem functions and services, and threats to these benefits posed by human activities, has led to various public programs to restore and protect estuaries at the federal, state, and local levels. As available budgets shrink, program administrators and public elected officials struggle to allocate limited restoration and protection funds to the highest priority areas. Economic benefit and cost information can provide useful inputs into this decision-making process by quantifying estuary restoration and protection benefits and costs in commensurate terms. In this paper, a combined actual and intended travel behavior model is described that can be applied to estimate the recreational fishing benefits of estuary restoration and protection. The model was estimated for recreational fishing in the Lower Atchafalaya River Basin estuary along the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, USA coast. Changes in freshwater flows into this estuary may affect redfish and speckled trout game fish populations. The model indicates that changes in catch rates of these two species would have a relatively minor affect on annual fishing trips per angler. However, because total effects may be large when effects per angler are aggregated across total anglers, resource management agencies should consider these changes in recreation benefits when evaluating projects that influence the ecology of coastal estuaries, fish populations, and catch rates. Moreover, in other coastal areas or situations, the responsiveness of angling trips to changes in catch rates may vary because of differences in user populations, environmental conditions, fish populations, and fishing experiences.     

A Review of Dunes in Today's Society

Prior to Superstorm Sandy, the importance of dunes had been widely overlooked in many coastal societies. However, the stark contrast between New Jersey coastal areas that were and were not protected by dunes has created a positive paradigm shift in coastal law and public dune opinion. Government officials are mandating the construction of artificial dunes along New Jersey's coast, but it is necessary for communities to first understand the complex nature of these unique systems. With the proper knowledge, a dune can be both a protective structure as well as a working habitat that will ultimately better protect upland infrastructure and improve beach health. However, a general lack of terminological consistency among formal media and governing entities makes properly quantifying and assessing dune health difficult and unwarranted ecological conclusions inevitable. Here, dune terminology, “blowout,” “washout,” and “bowling” is clarified and defined and the dynamic nature of dunes is explained.     

Clean Water Act Section 404 and Coastal Marsh Sustainability

The “no net wetland loss” goal has not been met in urban coastal regions where conditions continue to exacerbate wetland losses. Under the Clean Water Act (Section 404) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U. S. Environmental Protection Agency share responsibility for regulating placement of fill material in wetlands. The `no discharge of fill' rules threaten coastal wetlands with continuing losses due to effects of changing climate, including rising sea levels, higher storm surges, and flooding. Where inland migration is limited by development, or where sediment accretion rates are lower than the rate of sea level rise, urban wetlands will be lost unless marsh topography is elevated. We explored regulatory and design approaches in recent Hudson-Raritan Estuary (HRE), San Francisco Bay Estuary and coastal Louisiana restorations, including creation of new marshland using dredge material. Questions related to sea level rise, ecological position within the landscape, or potential effects of extreme storm events were not addressed in the HRE restoration designs; these concerns were taken into account in other regions. We suggest benefits of marsh `replenishment' should be acknowledged in Federal regulatory policy and that consistent policies supportive of low-lying coastal marsh preservation in all regions should be enacted.     

The visual environment of the New York coastal zone: User preferences and perceptions

Abstract

This study examines the opinions and feelings of coastal users along the New York coastal zone to determine if there are attitudinal and perceptional differences with regard to visual quality. The sample of 981 consisted of individuals from the Long Island coastal area and the Great Lakes coastal area. Little regional, attitudinal, and perceptional differences exist. A trend, however, is apparent in that behavior patterns center around preferences for familiar things, a cynical attitude toward public officials, and an avoidance of issues that may tend to overstimulate an already overloaded life style. The indication is that planning considerations on the part of public officials must be cognizant of the personal stance of individuals rather than on their overt actions.     

Coastal Management and Economic Development in Developed Nations: The Forth Estuary Forum

This article considers the issue of economic development as a component of coastal management initiatives in developed countries, focusing on the Forth Estuary Forum as a case study. The evolution of coastal management into integrated coastal management is briefly considered, as is the context of the Scottish coastal management system and a brief discussion of the variations between the different legal systems within the UK. The current hurdles to economic development and the views of developers and economic agencies being considered in the coastal management process itself are highlighted, illustrating the process of integration and the current voluntary regime in the UK, particularly in the Forth Estuary Forum. The article concludes that economic development issues must be taken seriously if coastal management is to be integrated and inclusive.     

A Review of Beach Bye-Law Usage in Supporting Coastal Management in Ireland

Coastal areas are commonly the focus of a range of human activities and uses. Beaches are one example of multi-use coastal environments, accommodating activities linked to leisure and recreation, amenity, conservation and business, often simultaneously. Ireland is no different in this regard, as its beach resources provide a range of goods and services of societal value. Ireland has 16 coastal counties and their associated local authorities have a beach management remit, a role that can present a number of challenges. The use of beach bye-laws is one option to support management of beach environments by local authorities. Local authority personnel tasked with beach management from each coastal local authority were surveyed to assess the actual and potential role of beach bye-laws in contributing to more effective management of beach environments and to broader coastal management. Usage of beach bye-laws varied across local authority areas and evidence suggested that the efficacy, use, and implementation of beach bye-laws differed from county to county. Beach bye-laws offer potential but interaction with other initiatives as part of a wider program for coastal management may yield improved results.     

Designing a Network of Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas in Hainan Island,South China

Overexploitation of reef resources and increasing coastal tourism have severely damaged the health of coral reef ecosystems around Hainan Island, South China. Only some reef sites are protected, and the effectiveness of the marine protected areas (MPA) appears inadequate. Networks of MPAs have been widely proposed as a more effective tool for reef conservation. However, little is known about the overall state of the island's coral reefs, and no guidelines exist for MPA network building in China. In this study, the information currently available on the distribution and condition of Hainan's coral reefs is comprehensively used to assess reef status, and to identify other reef areas prior to protection. An MPA network around the island is proposed in terms of monitoring, legal, and management aspects to improve the conservation effectiveness. This could also serve as a model for developing MPA networks for other coastal areas with respect to coral reef conservation.     

Assessment of Vulnerability and Integrated Management of Coastal Dunes in Veracruz,Mexico

Dune systems are essential to the ecological balance and sediment inputs of coastal environments and they provide numerous environmental services; however, their existence is threatened by natural and human stressors that contribute to their degradation. Future impacts are expected to be greater because of global climate change in association with further rises in sea level. Beaches and dune systems occupy large areas along the coastline of the state of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico. The aim of this study is to establish the intrinsic vulnerability of nine dune fields in Veracruz to current and future impacts and to assess their integrated management status. These dune–beach systems are more vulnerable to the effects of economic activities and land use change than to those induced by natural forces. Results show that six of these dune systems have medium vulnerability and an ecological conservation policy should be adopted; the other three, with high or very high vulnerability, are candidates for a restoration policy.     

The First Step for the Environmental Management of Australian Beaches: Establishing an Effective Policy Framework

Beach management and coastal management are interwoven and scale-dependent activities in Australia. Present coastal policies are broad and designed for large, national, and statewide scales. They specify ecologically sustainable development as the overarching goal for coastal management and provide the context for beach management. On smaller scales, an approach focusing on the reduction of geomorphic hazards as the basis of beach management was established by the Coastline Hazard Policy, with nonhazard aspects of beach management such as ecological, economic, and social concerns assuming secondary importance. Although beach management can occur effectively under these coastal management arrangements, better guidance is required to make this process as effective and efficient as possible. This guidance - the policy framework - could be better developed for beach management and better integrated with existing coastal management arrangements. While this policy development is not strictly necessary to achieve positive outcomes from beach management, it is necessary to effectively guide implementation of the existing broad coastal policies. Effective goals for beach management are yet to be thought out and clearly articulated in Australia. A good start would be to couple the present goals of ecologically sustainable development and hazards reduction into a coherent goal for beach management. A specific policy for beaches should be developed given the importance of beaches in Australia.     

A land‐use planning model for coastal zone management

Abstract

In this article we consider a linear programming model for assessing the aggregate impact of land‐use activities scattered over a large area on the resultant pollutant concentrations in coastal waters. The dispersion to coastal waters of the adverse environmental loads generated by the land uses is described by a set of transport coefficients that measure the attenuation of pollutants, such as industrial BOD, carried to the coast along surface drainage basins. Further dispersion in the waters caused by tidal action is then described by the simple procedure know as “pollution susceptibility.”; The model seeks to minimize the steady‐state concentrations of pollutants by establishing an optimal spatial configuration of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. This configuration is constrained by a number of restrictions based on local and regional targets for growth and development. The methodology discussed in this article is intended to be useful to regional planners, and is based on a study conducted for the Long Island area.     

SiMoCo: the viability of a prototype platform for a coastal monitoring system: a case study

Coastal zones are among the most productive areas in the world, offering a wide variety of valuable habitats and ecosystems services. Despite the low population density in the Brazilian coastal zone, their distribution is quite concentrated near some coastal cities and state capitals. This concentration places enormous pressure on coastal resources. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to present an overview on the current status of SiMoCo (Sistema de Monitoramento Costeiro, or Coastal Monitoring System in English) project as a possible early warning system that can be integrated to the Brazilian Coastal Management Information System. This prototype platform provides a real-time access to the composition, organization and simulation of planktonic communities. First, our results demonstrate such a system detecting a target dinoflagellate; second, we apply structural and functional indexes to compare and characterize the ecological networks from two different coastal areas. Conclusions are made about SiMoCo’s feasibility and its possible contribution to the decision-making process within integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) strategies.     

The demand for local access to coastal recreation in southern New England

Coastal lands provide popular outdoor recreation opportunities including beach recreation, fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing. Published studies measuring the demand for access to coastal lands generally have focused on the recreational value of intensively used beaches, which comprise only a portion of the New England coastline. This article examines the recreational demand for coastal access to a local, free‐access site in southern New England. The study uses data obtained from on‐site interviews conducted during the summer of 1995 at Gooseberry Island, Massachusetts. The estimated average value of a visitor‐day during the summer season is $3.06 for weekdays and $4.18 for weekends and holidays. While these values are at the low end of the range of values published in existing literature addressing beach recreation, the aggregate value of recreation benefits derived from public access to undeveloped coastal areas likely are significant.     

Challenges and Benefits in the Design of Coastal Walking and Cycling Amenities: Toward a More Integrated Coastal Management Approach

The planning and development of pedestrian and cycling amenities in coastal urban environments is a challenging process because a wide range of policies and considerations must be taken into account. Among these, the concepts of sustainability and more recently, resilience, have been gaining prominence. Green Infrastructure design approaches can integrate aspects of both sustainability and resilience, providing multiple services within single development projects. This study focuses on Dublin and examines a range of amenity projects at various stages of development that relate to the provision of new coastal walking and/or cycle routes. These are initially contextualized at the city level before focusing specifically on challenges and benefits associated with the design and implementation of such projects. Based on our findings, recommendations are made for optimizing the potential of future projects to effectively integrate with other initiatives so as to deliver broader policy objectives. A simple sequential model is presented that should assist developers and decision-makers to take a more integrated, multidisciplinary approach to meeting policy goals when planning and developing coastal amenities. Finally, this is remodeled into a set of considerations that are generally applicable to coastal development proposals of significant scale.     

大面积围海造陆围堰工程关键技术研究及应用

随着沿海地区对土地需求量的日益增长,围海造陆正越来越多地应用于工程实践中.而围堰形成作为整个围海造陆工程的基础环节,直接影响到后续陆域形成和软基处理施工的安全顺利进行.介绍我国围海造陆的发展现状以及围堰填筑的结构形式和施工技术,并结合港珠澳大桥珠澳口岸人工岛填海工程等项目,重点探讨抛石围堰、砂袋围堰、复合型砂袋围堰、插入式钢结构围堰以及水上施工智能控制系统等关键施工技术,为其推广应用提供参考.