Title: Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
1Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
Introduction and Welcome
Lecture 1
2Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Introduction
- Course Outline
- Reading Materials
- Assignments
- Attendance
- Guest Lecturers
- Definitions
- Context
3Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Introduction to the Course
- Aims
- Objectives
4Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Introduction
- Code MR2505
- Title Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Place Geography G3
- Time 12.00-14.00
- Day Thursday
- Weeks 1-6 7-8 9-12
5Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Contact Details
- Department of Geography Environment
- Rona Kennedy / Yvonne Buckingham
- David R. Green
- Room G12 (pale blue corridor)
- Tel. 2324 / 2328
- Email. d.r.green_at_abdn.ac.uk
6Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Course Outline
- A combination of .
- Lectures, Tutorials, Seminars, and a Field Visit
- Geography and Ecology in the Coastal ( Marine)
Environment
7Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Reading Materials
- Books, Journals, Magazines Internet
- Some examples are
- Doody, J.P., 2001. Coastal Conservation and
Management An Ecological Perspective. Kluwer
Academic Publishers. - Fish, J.D., and Fish, S., 1996. A Students Guide
to the Seashore. Cambridge University Press. - Gibson, R., Hextall, B., and Rogers, A., 2001.
Photographic Guide to the Sea Shore Life of
Britain North-west Europe. Oxford University
Press. - Raffaelli, D., and Hawkins, S., 1996. Intertidal
Ecology. Kluwer Academic Publishers. - Little, C., 2000. The Biology of Soft Shores and
Estuaries. Oxford University Press. - Little, C., and Kitching, J.A., 2000. The Biology
of Rocky Shores. Oxford University Press.
8Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Coverage
- Context
- Definitions
- Geography, Coastal Zone, Coastal Ecosystems
- Wind, Waves, Tides and Currents
- Physical Aspects
- Rocky Shores
- Sandy Shores
- Estuarine Environments
- Saltmarshes
- Issues
- Coastal Management
- Coastal Conservation
- Biodiversity
- Marine Protected Areas
9Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Assignments
- Two (2)
- Comprising
- (1) Module Paper
- (2) Project Report
- (3) Duly Completed Work
10Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Attendance
- Compulsory
- Record of Attendance
- Medical Certificates (MCs)
- Hand in to Geography and Environment Office
11Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
12Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
Coastal Ecology examines the ecological processes
interface between land and sea in order to
understand how human perturbations impact both
marine and terrestrial systems. The watershed
concept can be used to explore nutrient flow,
energy cycling, coastal circulation, productivity
and biotic interactions. Provides the basis for
resource managers to move toward ecologically
sound and sustainable decisions. Fieldwork
involves techniques of surveying, monitoring and
the study of biotic interactions in a complex
physical/chemical milieu.
13Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
Coastal ecologists have extensive experience in
both pelagic and benthic systems from estuaries
and inlets to the open expanses on continental
shelves. Their research ranges from uncovering
and modeling fundamental processes to developing
and implementing scientifically validated
management practices and restoration techniques
to maintain or improve the health of coastal
ecosystems. Significant progress has been made in
understanding and modeling scale-effects in
coastal systems, predicting how changes in
sediment regime affect the composition and
function of estuaries and inlets, determining how
coastal fish populations are affected by changes
in nearshore habitats, and modeling how coastal
reef ecosystems and their fisheries respond to
natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Novel
environmental performance indicators and
effective fisheries management practices and
tools have been developed to sustain both
productive fisheries and healthy and diverse
coastal environments. Work on the sustainability
and enhancement of cultured and wild
shellfisheries has resulted in highly
sophisticated models of primary production and
coastal hydrodynamics being used to estimate
sustainable levels of shellfish production and
harvest.
14Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- Definitions to Provide Context
- Geography
- Coast
- Landscape
- Ecology
- Landscape Ecology
- Ecosystem
- Biodiversity
- Sustainable
- Conservation
- Management
15Coastal Ecology and Sustainability
- GeographyThe study of the earth and its features
and of the distribution of life on the earth,
including human life and the effects of human
activity. - Coast Land next to the sea the seashore.
- Landscape An expanse of scenery that can be seen
in a single view - Ecology The science of the relationships between
organisms and their environments. - Landscape Ecology Causes and consequences of
spatial heterogeneity and pattern how to
characterize it, where it comes from, how it
changes through time, and why this matters - Ecosystem An ecological community together with
its environment, functioning as a unit. - Biodiversity The number and variety of organisms
found within a specified geographic region. - Sustainable To keep in existence maintain.
- Conservation The protection, preservation,
management, or restoration of wildlife and of
natural resources such as forests, soil, and
water. - Management The act, manner, or practice of
managing handling, supervision, or control
16Coastal Landscapes
17Coastal Landscapes
18Defining the Coastal Zone
- Land and sea perspective
- Marine Biologist sea and all the areas covered
by tide - Coastal Ecologist landward to the limits of
tidal movement or influence of salt spray on
soils and vegetation - Coastal Geomorphologist area in which agents of
erosion and deposition - Many others..
19Defining the Coastal Zone
- Or all of these.
- Tidal areas (mudflats, sandflats, saltmarshes,
brackish marsh, swamps, and salt influenced
grasslands) - Rocky shores, shingle beaches and cliffs subject
to salt spray - Terrestrial habitats include sand dunes and
shingle structures derived from marine processes - Estuaries, deltas and lagoons
- Excluded are the sub-tidal waters, plant and
animal communities
20Coastal Landscapes
- Classification into hard and soft
- Hard rock (high and low relief)
- Steep cliffs, rocky shores, small embayments,
pocket dunes, and deep clear offshore marine
waters - Soft landscapes include soft rock cliffs and
sedimentary habitats (discussed later) - The latter include intertidal mud and sandflats,
saltmarshes, coastal wetlands and sand dunes - Tidal movement, wave energy and river discharge
all influence the nature of the sedimentary
system - Two regimes meso- macro-tidal and micro-
meso-tidal - Estuarine and barrier island coastal plains
- Deltaic coastal plains
21Coastal Landscapes
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