Coastal Ocean Modeling

Pekalongan and Batang beach are located in the northern coast of Central Java Province. Due to the influence of Java sea wave, shoreline changes occured. This study aims to analyze the wave transformation, calculate the longshore sediment transport and shoreline change of Pekalongan and Batang during the period 1989-2002 by using numerical models. Furthermore, the model results are validated by using satellite imagery.

Marine litter is now recognized as a major form of marine pollution and key factor for coastal managers. The aims of this paper are to: (a) investigate the perception of beach users on aspects related to solid waste pollution and (b) quantify the input of tourism-related litter to the southern Brazilian coastal ecosystem in areas occupied by beach users with different socio-economic characteristics. Interview results indicated that beach users normally do not admit littering on the beach; believe that hazards to humans are the main problem caused by litter; suggest the conduction of education activities and more trash bins for reducing beach contamination. Results indicated that daily litter input to the beach was higher (po0:01) in the region frequented by people with lower annual income and literacy degree, evidencing the influence of educational level on people environmental awareness and behavior in relation to its own residues. Cigarette butts, followed by plastics are the main kind of litter generated. Strong correlations between beach visitor density and litter generation showed that (1) tourism is the main source of marine debris and (2) beach contamination depends on beach visitor density. The use of southern Brazilian coastal zone has increased very quickly, but environmental awareness of people has not accompanied it. It is evident that litter input and impacts in the oceans will increase if no preventive actions were taken. r

In Bangladesh, prawn farming is dependent on wild postlarvae (PL) because of inadequate supply of hatchery produced PL compare to the demand. Moreover, farmers prefer wild PL because the survival of wild PL is reported to be much higher than hatchery produced PL. Wild prawn PL fishing have given an employment opportunity for thousands of coastal landless and unemployed poor people in Bangladesh. On the other hand, indiscriminate wild PL fishing has notorious impact on biodiversity in coastal ecosystems due to high levels of by-catch. This has provoked imposition of ban on PL collection to conserve fisheries resources. In 2000, the Government of Bangladesh imposed ban, however, it was not implemented firmly because of the lack of alternative livelihoods for coastal poor. This paper describes the impact of wild prawn PL fishing in coastal Bangladesh and drawn a conceptual framework in relation to management of coastal fisheries resources.

A socio-economic assessment was conducted at Vanga, Shimoni, Majoreni and Gazi villages in the Kenyan south coast with focus on the sea cucumber fishing patterns, the social and economic characteristics of the fisher communities, the contribution of sea cucumbers to the local livelihoods, and analysis of the management systems. The results indicate that sea cucumber fishers are mainly men. Fishing is done in sub-tidal areas (3–10 m deep) and inter-tidal areas depending on the species being targeted. Those who fish in the sub-tidal areas do skin diving without using SCUBA diving gear. Sea cucumber fishing is heavily done during the northeast monsoon season when the sea is calm and water is clear. About 32% of the sea cucumber fishers also collect other marine products such as octopus. The sea cucumbers are sold fresh from the sea to local first level middlemen who process and sell them to the second level middlemen and exporters in Mombasa. The fishers occasionally borrow money from first level middlemen especially when they fail to catch sea cucumbers but this in turn creates conditions of dependence and possible exploitation. Almost all sea cucumber fishers have stated that they are not willing to make sea cucumbers part of their daily diet. The economic value of the product was substantial; the average monthly revenue for dry sea cucumbers in the area was estimated to US$ 8000. The relative highest profits are derived from juvenile species, thus there is an economic incentive hindering local stocks to reach sexual maturity, which in turn may create a situation in which recruitment success is highly dependent on faraway populations. The present management system falls into general fisheries regulations and was found weak. No specific management plan for sea cucumbers was found.

The results of a quantitative evaluation of community-based coastal resource management at six sites of the Central Visayas Regional Project-1 (CVRP-1) located in Cebu and Negros Oriental, Philippines, are discussed. The goal of the research is to determine factors influencing the success and sustainability of community-based coastal resource management projects. Several lessons were learned, or confirmed, by the analysis, including: variations in evaluations of project success by project staff and beneficiaries; early and continuous participation of beneficiaries in the project is related to this positive evaluation of success; positive cultural attitudes toward collective action were related to perception of positive change; and job satisfaction among fishers was high, suggesting the development of supplementary, not alternative, employment opportunities. ~) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. Central Visayas Regional Project-I 99 small-scale rural fishers, farmers, and forest occupants; (2) improve the management of the region's marine, upland, and forest resources in critical watershed areas; and (3) help increase the capacity for regionalization of decision making and program implementation. The nearshore fisheries component, in particular, addressed the following: (1) establishment and allocation of user's rights to an extensive system of artificial reefs in waters adjacent to the four upland sites in the region; (2) establishment of effective coral reef management on all coral reefs at the four project sites, along with municipal marine sanctuaries covering from 15 to 20% of the reef area; (3) replanting of mangroves in all suitable sites, management of existing mangrove timberlands by smallholders, and allocation of user's rights to the areas; (4) strengthening of participating line agencies, specifically the Department of Agriculture (Fisheries) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; (5) undertaking of special studies to support nearshore habitat management goals; and (6) conducting general surveys to provide the technical basis for project replication in other areas. 3

A numerical tool was used for the automatic generation of unstructured meshes in the finite element method implantation. The generated meshes are used in the development of two dimensional (2-D) numerical models
in the simulation of oceanic phenomena. For it, a package developed in Matlab based on Delaunay unstructured
triangular grid refinement algorithms was used and complemented by a set of diagnostic utilities to check and
improve grid quality

The current study area is coastal zone of Cuddalore, Pondicherry and Villupuram districts of the Tamil Nadu along the southeast coast of India. This area is experiencing threat from many disasters such as storm, cyclone, flood, tsunami and erosion. This was one of the worst affected area during 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and during 2008 Nisha cyclone. The multi-hazard vulnerability maps prepared here are a blended and combined overlay of multiple hazards those affecting the coastal zone. The present study aims to develop a methodology for coastal multi-hazard vulnerability assessment. This study was carried out using parameters probability of maximum storm surge height during the return period (mean recurrence interval), future sea level rise, coastal erosion and high resolution coastal topography with the aid of the Remote Sensing and GIS tools. The assessment results were threatening 3.46 million inhabitants from 129 villages covering a coastal area 360 km 2 under the multi-hazard zone. In general river systems act as the flooding corridors which carrying larger and longer hinterland inundation. Multihazard Vulnerability maps were further reproduced as risk maps with the land use information. These risk caused due to multi-hazards were assessed up to building levels. The decision-making tools presented here can aid as critical information during a disaster for the evacuation process and to evolve a management strategy. These Multi-hazard vulnerability maps can also be used as a tool in planning a new facility and for insurance purpose.

A statutory two hundred and six square kilometre 'closed area' in Lyme Bay, South West England entered into force on the 11 July 2008 to protect the reef substrate and the associated biodiversity from the impacts of trawling and dredging with heavy demersal fishing gear. This case study provides an example of how the ecosystem approach has been incorporated into decision making for marine nature conservation and shows that despite sound ecological knowledge of a marine area, the current reliance on traditional neo-classical economic valuations for marine spatial planning can obscure other issues pertinent to the ecosystem approach. With the Government seeking win-win scenarios for stakeholders in the designation of Marine Conservation Zones under the Marine and Coastal Access Act, experience of marine spatial planning in Lyme Bay has revealed that a win-win must be a long-term goal based on a thorough evaluation of the environmental, social and economic values of marine biodiversity.

In 2007 salmon, mollusk and seaweed aquaculture production in Chile totaled 904 thousand tonnes, making the nation the leading marine aquaculture producer in the western world. Salmonids grown in open cage net pens account for over 73% of the production. This review summarizes the current status of Chilean aquaculture and proposes the establishment of new regulations and monitoring programmes that encourage and accommodate emerging bioremediation technologies. In contrast to a rapidly expanding, well-financed and technologically advanced industry, the regulatory structure in Chile is outdated and based on insufficient science. The number of publications on the environmental impacts of salmon aquaculture in Chile is low relative to its production level. Nevertheless, the impacts of organic and inorganic waste on benthic communities, pelagic organisms and bird populations are documented. The technology to reduce these impacts using integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) strategies exists, but has not been implemented at commercial scales. We call on the government and industry to support the creation of a well-financed and politically independent agency responsible for developing and enforcing science-based environmental regulations in Chile. The agency's immediate goal should be to fund research required to develop a transparent, ecosystem-based regulatory framework that promotes IMTA. Monitoring programs and licensing procedures must consider the impacts of individual sites and the cumulative impacts from multiple sites across a wide range of spatial scales. Before such changes are realized, environmental threats and human health risks will remain unacceptably high and salmon farming in Chile will not meet any reasonable definition of sustainability.

Traditional top-down and technocratic approaches seem to be insufficient to tackle the many conflicts related to the sustainable use of natural resources. At the same time, reductionist and mono-disciplinary approaches lack the capacity to capture the complex interactions within evolving socio-ecological systems. Coastal zone management is an area that provides a clear example of such difficulties. In this paper we explore the scope of a participatory integrated assessment process, known as Social Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE), in the context of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). Through a two-year collaborative research process, between an interdisciplinary group of researchers and a diverse group of stakeholders in the Urdaibai Estuary (a Biosphere Reserve in the Basque Country, Northern Spain), we show that improving the integration of diverse expertise and values can lead, through a mutual learning process, to the definition of relevant policy options and sound decisions in the face of complexity, value conflict and unavoidable uncertainty.

Monitoring and management of shorelines along populated coastal areas is a very important task, but remains a difficult endeavor. The historical information used for short-term analysis and prediction are always underpinned by uncertainties associated with old data. Predictions of shoreline positions normally depend on the accuracy of the input data as well as the validity of the mathematical models used. With the requirement to study shoreline changes along the Parana (PR) coast in Brazil, it was necessary to obtain related cartographic information, which included temporal shoreline data obtained from orthophotos. In this contribution, photogrammetric together with GPS data are used to compare the capability of three shoreline prediction models; linear regression, robust parameter estimation, and neural network to predict the 2008 Parana shoreline position, which is then validated using the GPS measured position of 2008. The results indicate a MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) of 0.61% for the linear regression, 0.14% for the robust estimation, and 0.33% for the artificial neural network method. Although the coefficient of determinant (R 2 ) value for the neural network was the best, i.e., 0.997 compared to 0.994 for the robust model and 0.984 for the linear regression, its maximum deviation from the control values (i.e., 16.46) was almost twice that of robust model (7.63). On the one hand, the robust estimation model provides a more suitable approach for managing outliers in shoreline prediction, and also validating traditional methods such as linear regression. On the other hand, the neural network method offers an alternative approach to the robust prediction model. The results of the study highlightthe importance of a model choice for predicting the shoreline position.

In Pacific Mexico, all five sea turtle species have declined over the past century due to intense overexploitation of meat and eggs, fisheries bycatch, and degradation of marine and nesting habitats. One of the most heavily impacted areas has been the Baja California peninsula, where sea turtle populations remain historically low despite existing conservation measures that include a complete moratorium on the use of sea turtles, over three decades of widespread protection of nesting beaches, and in-water monitoring of sea turtles at coastal foraging areas. We recognize the need for alternative sea turtle conservation strategies that rely on increased participation of civil society and Mexican citizens. The purpose of this paper was to identify resident attitudes towards sea turtle conservation and opportunities for enhanced community participation in Bahia Magdalena, a region in Baja California Sur, Mexico experiencing high levels of sea turtle poaching and bycatch in fisheries. Through semi-structured interviews we found that while residents were overwhelmingly interested in participating in sea turtle conservation, peer pressure and conflict within the community presented major challenges. The majority of residents indicated that sea turtle voluntourism would have a positive impact on their community. Economic incentives and increased protection for sea turtles were mentioned as benefits of sea turtle voluntourism, whereas peer pressure, difficulty obtaining permits and producing effective marketing materials, and doubt about direct economic benefits were cited as constraints. We discuss our results in terms of opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for improving community-focused sea turtle conservation throughout the region.

Coastal areas in East Africa are experiencing rapid economic, resource management, demographic and technological shifts. In response diverse Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) applications have been embraced to provide mutual conservation and use benefits. These initiatives have met with mixed success in practice. Reflecting on the limitations of past research using common pool resources theory theory to study CBNRM we use insights from actor oriented theory combined with satellite image analysis to describe and discuss the forces dynamically influencing institutional and mangrove forest cover change at Kisakasaka, Zanzibar focussing on the formal CBNRM project period between 1996 and 2001, but also considering the period before and after this. We examine the shifting social relations that affected the performance and viability of the formal CBNRM arrangements. An integrated approach was taken to the presentation and discussion of results where it was possible to enrich and expand explanations of socio-environmental change, which was driven by a lack of government support, the undermining effects of party political divisions, and the lack of institutional adaptive capacity. We conclude that this was a useful approach to explain CBNRM intervention events at Kisakasaka.

Available online xxx a b s t r a c t Evaluating the management effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) has been a continuing challenge in marine conservation in the tropics. This paper describes the process involved, the chosen indicators and the selected results of the evaluation of management effectiveness of three MPAs in the Calamianes Islands, Palawan Province, Philippines. The evaluation was a participatory process that involved several institutions: academe, an externally-funded project, local governments, national government agencies and research organizations. Twenty-three indicators were used for evaluation: six biophysical indicators that largely measured the status of capture fisheries and coastal habitats; eight socioeconomic indicators that largely assessed the economic status and the perceptions of coastal communities; and nine governance indicators that measured the various facets of MPA management. Key lessons learned indicate the need to correlate the perceptions of coastal stakeholders with scientific findings as some perceptions did not reflect the results of biophysical surveys. We illustrate that a multidisciplinary approach and engagement of key stakeholders provides a comprehensive assessment and consensus for measuring the success of MPAs.

The feasibility and sustainable operation of tidal lagoons and barrages has been under scrutiny over uncertainties with regards to their environmental impacts, potential interactions and energy output. A numerical modelling methodology that evaluates their effects on the hydro-environment has been refined to consider technical constraints and specifications associated with variable turbine designs and operational sequences. The method has been employed to assess a number of proposals and their combinations within the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary in the UK. Operational challenges associated with tidal range power plants are highlighted, while also presenting the capabilities of modelling tools tailored to their assessment. Results indicate that as the project scale increases so does its relative hydrodynamic impact, which may compromise annual energy output expectations if not accounted for. However, the manner in which such projects are operated can also have a significant impact on changing the local hydro-environment, including the ecology and morphology. Therefore, it is imperative that tidal range power plants are designed in such a way that they efficiently tap into the renewable energy sources, with minimal interference to the regional hydro-environment through their operation.

The current study area is coastal zone of Cuddalore, Pondicherry and Villupuram districts of the Tamil Nadu along the southeast coast of India. This area is experiencing threat from many disasters such as storm, cyclone, flood, tsunami and erosion. This was one of the worst affected area during 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and during 2008 Nisha cyclone. The multi-hazard vulnerability maps prepared here are a blended and combined overlay of multiple hazards those affecting the coastal zone. The present study aims to develop a methodology for coastal multi-hazard vulnerability assessment. This study was carried out using parameters probability of maximum storm surge height during the return period (mean recurrence interval), future sea level rise, coastal erosion and high resolution coastal topography with the aid of the Remote Sensing and GIS tools. The assessment results were threatening 3.46 million inhabitants from 129 villages covering a coastal area 360 km 2 under the multi-hazard zone. In general river systems act as the flooding corridors which carrying larger and longer hinterland inundation. Multihazard Vulnerability maps were further reproduced as risk maps with the land use information. These risk caused due to multi-hazards were assessed up to building levels. The decision-making tools presented here can aid as critical information during a disaster for the evacuation process and to evolve a management strategy. These Multi-hazard vulnerability maps can also be used as a tool in planning a new facility and for insurance purpose.

Results are reported of an analysis of the conflicts that the zoning of marine protected areas might generate in the Galapagos and San Andres archipelagos given the involved stakeholders' competing interests. This will assist stakeholders, including the final decision makers, to develop cooperation strategies for managing conflicts. Specifically, the analysis focused on the stakeholders' conflicting priorities for a number of criteria deemed relevant to the evaluation of alternative geographical zoning configurations. Sets of statistically similar priorities are suggested as bargaining positions to those stakeholders who find it advantageous to seek cooperation with others sharing the same values instead of acting alone when debating MPA zoning alternatives. Another result that will contribute to cooperation strategies is the assessment of the solidarity of cohort groups of stakeholders as reflected by the extent of similarity among their priorities. (C.A. Davos), siakava@imbc.gr (K. Siakavara), J.C.Side@hw.ac.uk (J. Side), mpaprovidencia@yahoo.com (M. Taylor), pbarriga@parlamentoandino.gov.ec (P. Barriga).

The Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) is an important economic asset for the six Mexican coastal states (Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo) that border the Gulf. Many economic and social issues are geographic in nature; that is, they are associated with the coastal zone-from the coastal plain to the inner shelf. Other issues are related both to geography and to the use of water resources from low river basins to the estuarine plume and are therefore water-dependent. The main economic activities of the region are oil and gas production and petrochemical industries, fisheries, marine transportation, agriculture, cattle ranching, and tourism. More than 80% of economic activities for each of the six Mexican states are located in or associated with the coastal zone. Of the total national gross internal

In this paper we present the setup, calibration, and validation of an advanced 3-D ocean circulation model to further seek the potential for operational forecasting applications and investigate the coastal hydrodynamic processes in selected areas of the Black Sea. The extents of the studied areas refer to typical mid-range depths in a microtidal open coast environment up to the shelf-break. The effects of short-term changes in meteorological conditions on the coastal eddies' anticyclonic dynamics are explored in conjunction with the effects of the eastern and western cyclonic gyres of the Rim Current in the Black Sea basin. Newly produced field datasets of in situ oceanographic observations in coastal waters are employed for the validation of highresolution hydrodynamic simulations in operational forecast mode to detect the sub-mesoscale effects of prevailing coastal circulation patterns.

Bungus Bay has many functions such as harbour, tourism, jetty, local fisheries, and power plant. One of the effect of many functions of Bungus Bay is sedimentation. Sedimentation in Bungus Bay distruption its Ecosystem, Coral Reef Ecosystem. Sedimentation Modelling is using to find out how much sediment concentration (SSC) and sediment transport happens in Bungus Bay. Using sedimentation data, Vurneralbility of Coral Reef Ecosystem in Bungus Bay can be determined. The Result is from 1404.27 ha area of Bungus Bay, 164.73ha is categorized suitable for Coral Reef Ecosystem, 809.55 ha moderate, and 429.99 ha not suitable.

This paper summarizes a field study on the linkages between AIDS and coastal biodiversity in eight coastal villages in the Bagamoyo and Pangani Districts in Tanzania. Summarizing the current literature, we suggest that there are three categories of direct impacts of AIDS on natural resourcesaccelerated rate of resources extraction, decreased availability of labor and management capacity, and loss of indigenous knowledge on coastal resource management and biodiversity conservation. Evidence of these types of detrimental impacts of AIDS on the natural environment is found in the coastal villages of Tanzania, but overall it is difficult to disentangle the impacts of AIDS on local resource use and biodiversity conservation from other factors driving change. However, this paper contributes to an understanding of the key factors critical in shaping the impact of AIDS on the natural environment in coastal areas-especially gender inequity and migration. Our conclusion is that reducing gender inequality and poverty, and improving livelihood opportunities are integral to mitigating the negative impacts of AIDS on natural resources. r

A mangrove ecosystem shows close links between geomorphology and vegetation assemblage. In addition, the vegetation can change over time as landforms can accrete or erode, which is a direct response to coastal sedimentary processes. This demonstrates that significant changes can occur on short time scales and mangroves provide an excellent register of these modifications. Therefore, mangrove morphology and sedimentation are good indicators of interactions between relative sea level changes, coastal processes and sediment supply. These interactions are responsible for landward migration of the shoreline (erosion) and seaward migration of the shoreline (accretion), which is possible to detect from multi-date satellite data and field observations. Mangroves are one of the best geo-indicators in global coastal change research and they are an excellent procedure to detect and quantify coastal modifications. r

In the last decades Galician Coast has suffered the consequences of several oil spills such as Urquiola (1976), Andros Patria (1978), Casón (1987 and Aegean Sea (1992). The recent Prestige Oil Spill (2002) has affected more than 1,000 km of the Galician Coast, having unquestionable economical, ecological and social effects. Before providing an economical assessment of the disaster, in this paper we analyze the compensatory instruments for oil spill damages existing under the European legislation. A first evaluation of their ability to repair the real damage suffered by the Galician population after the Prestige Oil spill is also presented.

ICZM relies heavily on the definition of major multidisciplinary characteristics/elements of the coastal area of interest. Usually, only terrestrial boundaries are considered, which tend to respond to a specific sectoral problem and can be determined by administrative limits. In this study, we propose a method for establishing a decision-making tool to inform boundary delimitation for ICZM initiatives that is proactive and widely applicable as opposed to reactive and problem specific. This method integrates environmental, economic and societal characteristics of the marine and terrestrial boundaries of the coastal zone, starting at the boundary of the jurisdictional zone of influence (shoreline units), increasing in detail through the definition of their influential areas from jurisdictional, environmental or socio-economic perspectives (functional areas) and, within them, specifying the finest scale at which relevant indicator data may be obtained (analysis units).

The coastal and marine environments and resources of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are globally signi"cant and generally in a healthy state. Current regional issues include localized destruction of coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves; declines in some "sheries; exploitation of some endangered species; pollution from the development and transport of petroleum; and disposal of industrial and municipal wastes. The underlying causes of these issues are the natural vulnerability of the Red Sea due to its semi-enclosed nature; economic reliance on the petroleum industry; signi"cant navigation risks; a rapidly increasing coastal population and associated developments; lack of "sheries information, surveillance and management; poor coastal zone planning; and limited technical expertise. Strategic actions addressing these issues 0964-5691/99/$ -see front matter 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 6 4 -5 6 9 1 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 0 4 0 -X will need to be implemented regionally and focus on coastal zone management that integrates environmental planning, environmental assessment and review; training and institutional development; public awareness and participation; information gathering especially "sheries statistics; reducing navigation risks; and the development of resource management and conservation strategies.

Numerical modelling has become an essential component of today's coastal planning, decision support and risk assessment. High resolution modelling offers an extensive range of capabilities regarding simulated conditions, works and practices, and provides with a wide array of data regarding nearshore wave- and hydro-dynamics. In the present work, the open-source TELEMAC suite and the commercial software MIKE21 are applied to selected coastal areas of South Italy. Applications follow a scenario-based approach in order to study representative wave conditions in the coastal field; the models' results are intercompared in order to test both their performance and capabilities, and are further evaluated on the basis of their operational use for coastal planning and design. A multiparametric approach for the rapid assessment of wave conditions in coastal areas is also presented, and implemented in areas of the same region. The overall approach is deemed to provide useful insights on...

Land surface temperature (LST) is one of the most important parameters for studying the interaction between the earth's atmospheric system and the study of the earth's surface processes, from a local scale to global scale. It is considered as a key parameter of climate change, variations in land cover, heat exchange capacity, evapotranspiration, urban climate, vegetation monitoring and other thermal analyzes.

LST can perfectly reflect the exchange processes namely water exchanges and significant surface heat for the study of environmental changes and physical processes responsible for erosion. However, the impact of human activities on natural resources is currently one of the main threats. Artificialization and soil erosion through the process of urbanization and the transformation of natural landscapes constitute one of the most alarming impacts.

The objective of this study is to assess and detect the effects of land use/land cover change (LULC) on land surface temperature (LST) using multi-temporal satellite data Landsat TM 5 and OLI 8. The Standardized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Urban Land Use Model (NDBI) was used to statistically study these changes. The study used the Single-Channel  method for generating LST models and the ATCOR model for atmospheric and topographic corrections.

In Pacific Mexico, all five sea turtle species have declined over the past century due to intense overexploitation of meat and eggs, fisheries bycatch, and degradation of marine and nesting habitats. One of the most heavily impacted areas has been the Baja California peninsula, where sea turtle populations remain historically low despite existing conservation measures that include a complete moratorium on the use of sea turtles, over three decades of widespread protection of nesting beaches, and in-water monitoring of sea turtles at coastal foraging areas. We recognize the need for alternative sea turtle conservation strategies that rely on increased participation of civil society and Mexican citizens. The purpose of this paper was to identify resident attitudes towards sea turtle conservation and opportunities for enhanced community participation in Bahia Magdalena, a region in Baja California Sur, Mexico experiencing high levels of sea turtle poaching and bycatch in fisheries. Through semi-structured interviews we found that while residents were overwhelmingly interested in participating in sea turtle conservation, peer pressure and conflict within the community presented major challenges. The majority of residents indicated that sea turtle voluntourism would have a positive impact on their community. Economic incentives and increased protection for sea turtles were mentioned as benefits of sea turtle voluntourism, whereas peer pressure, difficulty obtaining permits and producing effective marketing materials, and doubt about direct economic benefits were cited as constraints. We discuss our results in terms of opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for improving community-focused sea turtle conservation throughout the region.

The applicability of recommendations of the Eurosion project to define a policy to manage coastal erosion has been tested at the "beach" scale in the Mediterranean coast. Thus, a favourable sediment status has been defined for these beaches taking into account their main functions: recreation and protection. Because they act at two different seasons, this status needs to be seasonally defined. For the protection function, the favourable sediment status depends on the level of safety fixed by the manager taking into account the importance of existing infrastructures and, for recreation it depends on the use density of the beach. The concept has been formalized for beach management within a framework where benchmarking plays a crucial role to determine the need of intervention. This has been illustrated for open cell beaches where one of its boundaries can permit variations in the sediment budget and for pocket beaches that act as closed sediment cells.

In the Mexican coasts, as in many tropical and subtropical coastal areas, shrimp culture grew exponentially over the last three decades. This process has produced an intense debate on the economic benefits but also about the extent and intensity of the impact of this activity on the coastal ecosystems, particularly the effects of pond construction on mangrove areas and other coastal wetlands. For the Northern coast of Sinaloa (Northwest Mexico), a region where shrimp culture is actively practiced and reproduces most of the shrimp controlled production model in Mexico, a land cover change-detection analysis, with Landsat images, outputs that 75% of the shrimp farming in this region has been built on saltmarshes while less than 1% was constructed on mangrove areas. Through the estimation of landscape metrics for different scenarios (with and without shrimp culture infrastructure), we find that in addition to direct removal of saltmarshes, shrimp aquaculture has significantly modified the spatial patterns of coastal wetlands, retreating wetland borders and fragmenting their patches. These last impacts are mainly related with the development of the linear infrastructure associated with shrimp culture (drainage channels and roads), rather than the construction of the ponds. Present findings and other from similar studies done in Northwest Mexico; allow us to estimate that 60% of shrimp farming in Mexico impacted directly on saltmarshes, contrasting with the 3% of shrimp farms built on mangroves.