Ecology of Coastal Systems

geopark naturtejo Meseta Meridional, geology and Paleontology office, centro cultural raiano. Av. Joaquim Morao 6060-101 idanha-a-nova, Portugal 2 Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Antichita, universita di trieste, via lazzaretto vecchio 6, 34123, trieste, italy universita di udine, via Palladio 8, Palazzo Florio, 33100 udine, italy natural history Museum of the lesvos Petrified Forest, Sigri, lesvos island, greece cnrS, cerege, universite Aix-Marseille, europole de l’Arbois, BP 80, 13545, Aix-en-Provence, France corresponding author e-mail: andrea@tracemaker.com

Seascape Ecology provides a comprehensive look at the state-of-the-science in the application of landscape ecology to the seas and provides guidance for future research priorities. The first book devoted exclusively to this rapidly emerging and increasingly important discipline, it is comprised of contributions from researchers at the forefront of seascape ecology working around the world. It presents the principles, concepts, methodology, and techniques informing seascape ecology and reports on the latest developments in the application of the approach to marine ecology and management.
A growing number of marine scientists, geographers, and marine managers are asking questions about the marine environment that are best addressed with a landscape ecology perspective. Seascape Ecology represents the first serious effort to fill the gap in the literature on the subject. Key topics and features of interest include:
 The origins and history of seascape ecology and various approaches to spatial patterning in the sea
 The links between seascape patterns and ecological processes, with special attention paid to the roles played by seagrasses and salt marshes and animal movements through seascapes
 Human influences on seascape ecology—includes models for assessing human-seascape interactions
 A special epilogue in which three eminent scientists who have been instrumental in shaping the course of landscape ecology offer their insights and perspectives
Seascape Ecology is a must-read for researchers and professionals in an array of disciplines, including marine biology, environmental science, marine management, and environmental protection. It is also an excellent supplementary text for university courses in those fields.

It is possible to develop a flood vulnerability model, which reflects expressed concerns
about flooding, by factoring in elevation, substrate type, and infrastructure exposure.  With the current state of global climate change and sea level rise, it is more important than ever to determine areas of vulnerability to flooding in SIDS. Sustainable development requires long- term plans that take into account the increasing flood vulnerability over the next century. Storms and flood damage can be costly, and require years for recovery on islands; the best plan of action is to plan for flood resilience, and a flood-resistant infrastructure.
The creation of flood vulnerability models will help determine the best areas for development and contribute to managing the coastline.  Coastal management is a paramount issue in SIDS because of the states’ dependence on the ocean for economic as well as natural resources.

Abundance and distribution of phytoplankton communities in the coastal waters of Mt. Malindang, Misamis Occidental were being determined. A total of 27 sampling stations in the coastal areas of Oroquieta, Plaridel and Lopez Jaena were established using a Global Positioning System (GPS). Collection was conducted once a month for a period of 6 months covering the dry (April-May) and wet (June-September) seasons.

Cartographie du couvert vegetal marin du golfe de gabes et mise en place d'un reseau de surveillance du de Posidonia oceanica. La cartographie a ete realise a travers 4800 stations d'observations directes par plongee au scaphandre autonome, apnee et ROV et camera sous marine, le recours au sonar a balayage lateral (swatch bathymetry) et l'imagerie satellitaire a permis de couvrir la totalite du golfe de la Chebba au nord a la frontiere Tuniso-Libyenne au sud, et du littoral a lisobathe -50m. La superfice couverte par nos travaux est estimee a 3.407.600 hectares, dont 1.152.900 ha sont occupes par la Posidonie soit 34% de cette aire prospectee, occupant ainsi la superficie la plus inportante de medietrranee. Pour assurere le suivi de cet importante biocenose marine littorale, nous avons balises 39 stations allant de -0.5 m a -36.7 m de profondeur. Sur une periode de 12 mois, ces 39 stations ont montre dans l'ensemble une regression de faible ampleur.

The Meghna Estuary region of Bangladesh is a unique environment where the constant process of land formation and erosion takes place due to the complex interactions between large river discharge, enormous sediment load, strong tidal forces, wind actions, wave, salinity & cyclonic storm surge and estuarine circulation. These hydrodynamic factors and their interactions shape the morphology of the Meghna Estuary. During dry season upland fresh water flow into the Bay through the estuary is very much lower than that of monsoon season. Tidal action becomes stronger and dominates water flow pattern in the Meghna estuary. The distribution of flow and water level in the different channels of the Meghna estuary are governed by river discharge, the tide and the wind speed. Velocity is higher during ebb tide than that of flood tide due to combined effect of upstream flow and downward tidal current. Velocity in monsoon is much higher compare to dry period because upstream discharge is higher in monsoon. Most of the accretion and erosion mainly occurs during monsoon and post monsoon period. In pre-monsoon and post monsoon, wave height is less compared to monsoon as wind speed is less during these periods. Along the left Bank of this estuary, significant wave is considerable. As a result, tremendous whirl action due to tidal effects and whirl action due to enormous drainage flow during monsoon, wave action, tidal surge of the lower Meghna causes breaching of the major parts of the embankments of polder 59/2 and adjacent area. The main purpose of this research paper is to understand the hydrodynamic features of the Meghna estuary.

Keywords: - Bay of Bengal Model (BoBM), Flexible Mesh (FM), Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM), Hydrodynamic, Meghna Estuary Study (MES)

Mockhorn Island in Northampton County, Virginia has an extensive late Quaternary geological and archaeological record. Investigations at 44NH440 and 44NH441 conducted throughout 2009 and 2010 on the island revealed evidence of drowned late prehistoric settlements. Excavations at 44NH440 exposed a drowned 1,500 year old midden area with evidence of prehistoric fishing. Excavations at 44NH441 documented a drowned 2,500 year old prehistoric house structure and an associated refuse area. In tandem with regional geologic evidence and sea level data, the island’s extensive archaeological record provides a more thorough understanding of the long-term human use of an Atlantic coastal island and the active role that marine transgression played on environmental and ecological change.

Although much has been written on the subject of ancient Mediterranean harbours, the relatively new area of harbour
geoarchaeology remains dispersed in the geoscience and archaeological literature. Over a decade of research has amassed rich and varied datasets of anthropogenically forced coastal evolution, with a remarkable number of between-site analogies. This new research field also shows the rich potential of geoscience to reconcile important archaeological questions. No single publication, however, has yet drawn on these geological patterns to yield a detailed overview suitable for geoscientists and environmental archaeologists. The aim of this review article is to
(1) discuss how ancient harbours have come to be preserved in the geological record;

(2) expound the basic principles and palaeoenvironmental tools underpinning ancient harbour geoarchaeology;

(3) outline some of the most significant research advances made; and

(4) discuss a new chrono-stratigraphic model applicable to harbour.
sequences.

From a human history perspective, the intrinsic characteristics of estuaries have made them preferable sites of occupation and, consequently, intense areas of development. A direct consequence of human occupation of these coastal areas is that estuaries rank among the environments most affected by human presence and activities. The fast expansion of socio-economic activities on coastal and estuarine areas over the last decades, such as tourism, nature conservation, coastal fisheries and industrial and urban development has expanded and complicated the management tasks. In recent years, there has been a growing concern to maintain a steady growth in economical activities and social development in estuarine areas, while preserving their natural features and ecological services.

Given the acceptance by governments of the goal of sustainable development, a more sustainable coastal management strategy requires a more interdisciplinary and integrated management process. There are no easy answers to the question of what is best for a particular system from a resource’s management point of view. It is the task of scientists from different disciplines to present as complete a picture as possible to those who make decisions. The ECOMANAGE (Integrated Ecological Coastal Zone Management System) project described here, funded by the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme (Contract nº INCO-CT-2004-003715), aims to provide coastal authorities with the knowledge and tools for such an integrated management approach. The common goal was to work towards a social and environmental sustainable estuarine system management in three distinct transitional waters systems in South America: Santos Estuary in Brazil, Bahía Blanca Estuary in Argentina and Fjord Aysén in Chile. Besides their geographical location, these coastal systems cover a wide spectrum of management challenges because they vary significantly in their ecological state and human pressures, in a gradient that goes from a more pristine state of Fjord Aysén, to the heavily occupied and degraded system in Santos Estuary.

The South American continent is endowed with a unique and valuable marine heritage, which enclose several of the world’s largest and most productive estuaries. The accelerated development in most Latin American countries is posing demanding challenges in the management of natural resources, especially in coastal areas. Integrated coastal management approaches are required, combining all aspects of the human, physical and biological aspects of the coastal zone within a single management framework. Integrated coastal management is presented here as a broad, multi-purpose endeavor aimed at improving the quality of life of communities dependent on estuarine resources and helping local decision maker attaining sustainable development of estuarine areas, from the headwaters of coastal watersheds to the outer marine areas. The work presented in this volume is a step in that direction. Hopefully, the knowledge, experience, tools and results presented here will be used in other places with similar conflicting uses of natural resources.

Interdisciplinary and integration was the major thrust of ECOMANAGE. The project was originally assembled from scientifically promising and socially relevant research fields, with physical modelling and eutrophication as the core. The social sciences, human ecology and management oriented subjects were included to provide the project with the integrative principle. The work developed during the project formed the knowledge pool for this book. The volume is a collection of writings selected on the basis of novelty, relevance in a water resource management framework, and insightfulness. Contributions have also been included in order to survey the strengths and limitations of a range of existing coastal zone management practices operating in different local environmental and socio-economic contexts. The core message that is highlighted is that the management challenges posed are complex and multifaceted, encompassing physical forcing, natural hazard and variability and vulnerability, together with socio-cultural vulnerability problems.

Being the result of a multidisciplinary scientific endeavor, the book will have an audience that range across a wide spectrum of environmental and social disciplines. The book should be of interest for anyone working in the field of ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management), from scientists to decision makers. Dealing with examples from South America, the book has a strong local interest. However, the kind of approach developed in the project and portrayed in the book enables this work to be used as a benchmark for scientists working worldwide in related areas or facing the same challenges.

The book addresses costal zone management in an integrative way, with particular focus on water resources. As such, we hope it will be of interest for scientists working in fields such as aquatic ecology, ecohydrology, ground water, marine sciences in general, water quality, coastal zone management, etc. In addition, the strong component of the modelling approach will target the modelling community, from ecosystem to ground water modelers.

Unsustainable land uses may result in poor watershed management, increased soil erosion, poorly-planned urban development, increased runoff, and sewage pollution, creating an environmental stress gradient across coastal coral reefs. This study was aimed at: 1) Evaluating water quality within and outside the Canal Luis Peña Natural Reserve (CLPNR), Culebra Island, Puerto Rico; 2) Determining if there was any significant environmental stress gradient associated to land-based non-point source pollution; and 3) Characterizing shallow-water coral reef communities across the gradient. Strong gradient impacts associated 293 to sediment-laden and nutrient-loaded runoff pulses, in combination with non-point raw sewage pulses, and sediment bedload, impacted coastal coral reefs. Water quality showed significant spatio-temporal fluctuations (p<0.0001), largely responding to heavy rainfall and subsequent runoff pulses. Benthic community structure showed significant spatial variation along the environmental stress gradient (p=0.0002). Macroalgae, dead coral surfaces, algal turf, and low coral species richness, species diversity index (H'c), and evenness (J'c) dominated benthic assemblages across reefs frequently impacted by runoff pulses and sediment bedload. The combination of fecal coliform and enterococci concentrations were correlated with variation in benthic community structure (Rho=0.668; p=0.0020). The combined variation in salinity, dissolved oxygen and enterococci concentrations explained 75% of the observed spatial variation in benthic assemblages (R 2 =0.7461; p=0.0400). Local human stressors affected coral reefs within no-take CLPNR and risk analyses suggest it may offset its ecological benefits. There is a need to design and implement integrated coastal-watershed management strategies to address multiple land use activities, including erosion-control best management practices, watershed reforestation, and sewage pollution control.

An archaeological survey of Back Bay was conducted along coastal Virginia immediately south of Virginia Beach for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The fieldwork was conducted between October and December of 2015. The survey documented eleven actively eroding shorelines with archaeological deposits. The archaeology, geology and soil profiles for each site were evaluated. During the late prehistoric period through the early 19th century, Back Bay was a high salinity barrier island lagoon with a high-tidal amplitude.  When the "new" and "old" Currituck Inlets closed in the early 19th century, the salinity of Back Bay plummeted and the tidal amplitude was greatly reduced.  Not only did the ecology of Back Bay change, the reduction of tidal amplitude greatly increased the rates of shoreline erosion and associated archaeological site loss.  The results of this research will help future researchers prioritize and assess the loss of archaeological sites within a coastal lagoon system that has very low tidal amplitude.

Book Chapter on Coastal Odisha titled 'Shrimp Aquaculture, Ecological Declinea and the Spectre of NRC'.. Co-authored with Ananya Pattnaik. The chapter seeks to trace the trajectory of ecological deterioration of the two aquaculture zones in question, the Bhitakanika National Park in the district of Kendrapara and Chilika Lake due to intensive shrimp farming and its impact on the local fishing community. It examines how the State and the environmental elite’s response to this deterioration has been to selectively produce a vilifying discourse around the figure of the ‘Bangladeshi infiltrator’ (anuprabeskari) under the rubric of conservatism. The paper argues that implicating Bangladeshi immigrants of the region as responsible for the ecological crisis has deflected attention from effectively identifying true causes that have led to this grave ecological ruin. The increasing demand for seafood, related profit along the value chain and the unequal control of market capital are reasons to be examined in order to understand the ecological declines of coastal Odisha. This paper attempts to bring together a web of relations of capital, community and ecology that continue to shape the rapidly changing life of the east coast and which have, thus far been overlooked. It is to centre the understanding that environmental concern in the region, therefore, is not reducible to a simplistic human-nature conflict and has to account for the profit driven economic structure as well as the role of the state, the legal apparatus and community relations.

Mangrove forests occur throughout the coastlines of Arabia, one of the most environmentally extreme regions of their global distribution. The gray mangrove [Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh.] is the only widespread tree species in this region, providing a unique evergreen habitat that supports high mangrove-associated biodiversity and many ecosystem services of socioeconomic importance. This study provides the first literature-based analysis of the status and historical development of mangrove science in Arabia. The goal was to identify trends and gaps in regional mangrove research, providing information essential to guiding future science and conservation programs. The analyses incorporated 400 publications from over six decades since the first article in 1955, each classified into 11 major research topics and including studies from each of the regional seas (Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Sea of Oman, and the Persian/Arabian Gulf). The results demonstrate that there has been exponential growth in research on regional mangroves in recent decades (particularly around human impacts and ecology). The study further reveals knowledge gaps in important research topics and geographical areas that could be exploited to provide insights into broader biogeographic issues. These results provide a comprehensive assessment of the growing body of knowledge on regional mangroves, and provide direction for future research that can guide conservation, management and scientific knowledge of these critical ecosystem engineers.

Although much has been written on the subject of ancient Mediterranean harbours, the relatively new area of harbour geoarchaeology remains dispersed in the geoscience and archaeological literature. Over a decade of research has amassed rich and varied datasets of anthropogenically forced coastal evolution, with a remarkable number of between-site analogies. This new research field also shows the rich potential of geoscience to reconcile important archaeological questions. No single publication, however, has yet drawn on these geological patterns to yield a detailed overview suitable for geoscientists and environmental archaeologists. The aim of this review article is to (1) discuss how ancient harbours have come to be preserved in the geological record;

The vertically placed and coast parallel permeable sea cliff at Varkala along the fault-induced Kerala coast is a unique
feature on the west coast of India. Composed of Warkalli littoral deposits of Mio-Pliocene age, the cliff embodies
post-Warkalli uplift of about 25 m (GSI, 1976). The nearly horizontally layered Warkalli sediments are shallow water
shoreline littoral deposits and are lateritised down to a depth of 10-13 m (GSI, 2012). The lithological sequence noted
in Varkala cliff from the bottom consist lignite beds, alum clay, lithomarge-sands and sandy clays, and laterite with
sand stone masses (GSI, 2012). The present day configuration of this denudational cliff manifests combined action of
marine and fluvial agents. The cliff height varies between 10 and 46 m (Kumar et.al, 2009) and runs over a distance
of about 7 km (GSI, 2012). The laterite duricurst at the top prevents normal surface erosion. However, due to the
impermeable nature of laterites, the land mass is affected by underscoring in the lithomarge and consequent toppling
of laterite blocks. Groundwater action along the cliff face and intense wave action at the cliff base further accentuates
erosion and retreat. Field measurements and map analysis indicate that the cliff line is retreating at an average rate of
~ 1.0 m/yr. There are several interventions, such as the construction of sea walls and other vegetative conservation
measures to protect this unique geomorphic site from further sea wave erosion.

There are concerns that novel structures might displace protected species, facilitate the spread of non-indigenous species, or modify native habitats. It is also predicted that ocean warming and the associated effects of climate change will significantly increase biodiversity loss within coastal regions. Resilience is to a large extent influenced by the magnitude of dispersal and level of connectivity within and between populations. Therefore it is important to investigate the distribution and ecological significance of novel and artificial habitats, the presence of protected and alien species and potential vectors of propagule dispersal. The legacy of solar salt-making in tropical and warm temperate regions is regionally extensive areas of artificial hypersaline ponds, canals and ditches. Yet the broad-scale contribution of salt-working to a network of benthic biodiversity has not been fully established. Artisanal, abandoned and historic salt-working sites were investigated along the Atlantic coast of Europe between southern England (50 N) and Andalucía, Spain (36 N). Natural lagoons are scarce along this macrotidal coast and are vulnerable to environmental change; however it is suspected that avian propagule dispersal is important in maintaining population connectivity. During bird migration periods, benthic cores were collected for infauna from 70 waterbodies across 21 salt-working sites in 5 coastal regions. Bird ringing data were used to investigate potential avian connectivity between locations. Lagoonal specialist species, some of international conservation importance, were recorded across all regions in the storage reservoirs and evaporation ponds of continental salinas, yet few non-indigenous species were observed. Potential avian propagule transport and connectivity within and between extant salt-working sites is high and these artificial habitats are likely to contribute significantly to a network of coastal lagoon biodiversity in Europe.

Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and is famous for its once extensive and now severely degraded eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations, along with a number of other important fisheries including crabs, rockfish, and menhaden. Here we explore the historical ecology of Native American subsistence and land use strategies in the Fishing Bay area of Maryland's Eastern Shore, building on our broader bay-wide analyses of oyster fisheries and human-environmental interactions. Archaeological analysis of faunal remains from shell middens dated between AD 500 to 1500, along with analysis of locally collected modern oysters, help reconstruct Fishing Bay's evolution during the late Holocene, and document shellfish harvest strategies and predation pressure. These data suggest a stable and sustainable prehistoric oyster fishery in Fishing Bay, likely due to: 1) seasonal harvest and local consumption; 2) intertidal harvest that allowed replenishment from subtidal populations; and 3) relatively low human population densities. When placed in the context of our broader bay-wide analysis, these data provide implications for managing the present day oyster fishery, lending support to increasing no-take zones and expanding oyster sanctuaries that can be rotated with areas actively being fished.

Material de lectura, actividades y juegos para niños de 8 a 12 años. Presenta una introducción a los principales aspectos que describen una costa de dunas y playas, -enfocado especialmente en la costa atlántica de Buenos Aires-, como el circuito de la arena, los procesos de formación de dunas y playas, las comunidades de plantas y animales que dependen de estos ambientes, las formas en que el ser humano impacta sobre ellos y los medios con que contamos para conservar la naturaleza. Pretende actuar como disparador para motivar la investigación, la búsqueda de información y la observación de las dunas y playas como ecosistemas. Contiene actividades para desarrollar y juegos para resolver que dan un toque de entretenimiento a la vez que sirven como integradores de los conceptos volcados. Pensado para complementar la enseñanza en sus diferentes formas, y para ser utilizado bajo la guía de un docente.

The following research was funded via public money.  As such, it is important that the results of this research be distributed to the populace free-of-charge with no publisher restrictions or limitations.  The research outlined in this paper measures the δ18O values for the shells of both modern whelk and marginella species.  These values serve as a proxy for water temperature variation along the coasts of the Middle Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.  The modern values were compared with the  δ18O values noted for dated archaeological shell specimens from the same stretch of coastline in an attempt to determine if water temperatures varied in the past.  The δ18O values noted for the archaeological specimens closely approximate the values observed in the modern samples.  The collective results provide a method to delineate the coastal point of origin for marine shell ornaments found at archaeological sites located in the Ohio Valley, the Appalachians,  and the Great Lakes region.

Pine and oak are common tree species in the Vila Real district, northern Portugal, a region where forests are an important land use (38%). The net primary production (NPP) of these forests is not well known. The objective of this study was to quantify the aboveground biomass and aboveground NPP (ANPP) of pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton), pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) and mixed pine-oak forests in the Vila Real district and to evaluate the relationships between ANPP and their stand characteristics. To achieve this objective, 15 stands of pine, 15 stands of oak and 9 stands of mixed pine-oak were studied between 2008 and 2011. ANPP average (and range) of pine, oak and mixed stands were 7.9 (2.9-15.1), 7.3 (3.0-12.1), and 12.1 (6.5-17.2) Mg ha À1 yr À1 , respectively. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), to reduce the within-groups variability and detect the differences between the stand compositions, was performed. In this analysis, we rejected the null hypothesis that the composition stands had the same mean among ANPP. Mixed stands had a significantly higher mean ANPP than pine or oak. Also, we verified that in pine, the greater distribution of biomass was on the stem (4.0 ± 0.7 Mg ha À1 yr À1 , 50% of the total productivity) component where carbon sequestration is retained longer, whereas in oak and mixed stands the foliage was the component with the greater distribution of biomass (4.0 and 6.0 Mg ha À1 yr À1 , respectively). Aboveground biomass was significantly different among the three stands types and averaged 83.4, 61.4 and 110.5 Mg ha À1 for pine, oak and mixed stands, respectively. Regression models performed showed that there was a strong relationship between aboveground biomass and basal area in all stands. This study concludes that the production efficiency, defined as stem productivity/leaf area index, was significantly different in mixed stands. Pine had the greatest production efficiency in all stand types and, in mixed stands, had 85% of the total production efficiency.

The influence of submarine groundwater discharges (SGD) on the dynamics of
coastal ecosystems is receiving increasing scientific attention, although our
knowledge of this issue still remains insufficient. Understanding the ecological
response of coastal ecosystems to SGD dynamics is important in order to evaluate
and predict changes in coastal communities. The aim of the present study
was to characterize the effect of groundwater discharge on subtidal soft-bottom
macrofaunal assemblages in the south coast of Portugal (Algarve) at different
times of the year and under different discharge regimes. Sediment macrofauna
was sampled twice per season in spring and summer 2011 in two locations:
one under influence of SGD (Olhos de Agua) and one not under that influence
(Arrifes). The results showed that differences in community structure between
locations occurred mainly during spring, when the magnitude of groundwater
discharge was higher. Several individual taxa were strongly associated with the
SGD, particularly during spring: the polychaete families Magelonidae and
Oweniidae; the isopod Cyathura carinata; and the bivalves Tellimya ferruginosa
and Tellina fabula. Some of these taxa are already considered indicators of SGD,
whereas others merit further investigation. The average similarity among samples
was consistently larger in the location with SGD and the average similarity
between the two locations was generally higher during spring, indicating that
SGD promote stability in macrobenthic communities across time and space.
SGD were also associated with higher values of Chlorophyll a (Chl a), fine sediments
and total abundance of organisms (particularly suspension feeders).
This suggests that differences between locations are associated with SGD and
mediated by nutrient fluxes and sediment transport, or their interaction.

An integrated cartographic approach has been used to summarize different data (geomorphological, sedimentological, hydrodynamic, ecological and anthropic) from an urban microtidal, wave-dominated beach and adjacent inner shelf in a comprehensive and easily readable mapping output. The study area is located in S Sardinia (Italy,  Mediterranean Sea) and focuses on Poetto beach. All the data in this study were processed to produce a Main Map (1:6400 scale) showing the key characteristics of the entire area and three detailed secondary maps (1:56,000 and 1:59,000 scale) that include topographic and eco-graphic profiles, the distribution of sedimentary facies and the main anthropic impact. This map, providing detailed information on the beach dynamics, human impact and the marine ecological status of the Poetto urban beach, represents a useful new tool to facilitate environmental conservation and beach management.

The Massambaba Environmental Protection Area lies within the Cabo Frio Center of Plant Diversity, which has
high species richness when compared to the entire Brazilian south-southeast coast. The restingas (sandy coastal
plains) predominate in this region and they suffer from environmental stress plus historic manmade activities. This
work aims to survey the floristic composition and structure of the herb layer of an open scrub formation in the
Massambaba Environmental Protection Area, and compare it to a physionomically similar formation. The herb
layer was sampled by the plot technique, totaling 200 m². The parameters frequency, cover and Importance Value
were calculated for each species. For the comparisons with the Clusia scrub formation (Macaé, RJ), similarity
indices (Sorensen’s qualitative and quantitative), diversity (Shannon) and evenness (Pielou) were used. A total of
33 species were recorded for the herb layer, showing an oligarchic structure with the following dominants:
Panicum trinii, Allagoptera arenaria, Vriesea neoglutinosa, Chamaecrista ramosa, Sebastiania glandulosa,
Couepia ovalifolia, Diodella apiculata and Cuphea flava. Jurubatiba’s herb layer was very similar to Massambaba’s
(Cs=0.59); the latter has higher diversity (H’C=2.32 nats/m²).

Analysis of potential conflict mapping that will be studied and discussed is part of one of the analyzes performed in the study of Spatial Planning Model Coastal Area With Spatial Approach Connectivity.The purpose of this study is the mapping of potential conflicts between activities in the coastal zone Bontang City’s. Identification of potential conflicts is very necessary in preparing coastal spatial planning. Management and control of the conflict will facilitate allocation of space by considering the interests of various parties