Many “wicked” natural resources management problems today are utilizing more collaborative methods of decision making. Through involving stakeholders in decision-making, resource managers can induce engagement and support for final decisions and prevent future conflict. Additionally, participation is thought to yield increased group cohesion, where stakeholders better understand each other’s perspectives

This study uses data from shoreline modification permit applications in Gloucester County, Virginia to provide insights into how coastal managers can encourage the use of living shorelines over shoreline armoring. The data show that shorelines are more likely to be modified on properties with high neighboring property values and properties threatened by hurricane storm surge and high wave energy, while

The perception by many that governing arrangements for the global ocean commons are fragmented and dysfunctional may be an unnecessary barrier to tangible progress aimed at sustainably reaping the benefits of the ‘Blue Economy’. A recent review of the governance of the global ocean identified 191 governance arrangements for issues affecting transboundary marine resources. We suggest that instead of

(2020). Making Sense out of Coastal Peoples and Fishers' Responses to Extreme Natural Events in the Caribbean. Coastal Management: Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 349-353.

Hurricanes can cause extensive long-term damage to small-scale fisheries. Yet, information is scarce on how communities are locally impacted by extreme events in the Caribbean and in other parts of the world. Focusing on an artisanal fishery in Yaguajay, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, this article explores how artisanal fishers have perceived and responded to the different damages brought about by Hurricane

In September 2017, Hurricane María hit the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico threatening the economic and social viability of small-scale fisheries. This study describes the main results of a rapid socio-economic assessment of the storm’s impacts one year after it made landfall. María caused commercial landings to fall by 20% owing to the loss of productive assets, extended power outages, and the loss of

Prior to Hurricane Mitch at the end of the 20th century, migration from Honduras to the United States was confined to a few sending and receiving areas linking, for example, the Caribbean coast of Honduras to New Orleans and parts of the interior to California. By contrast, migration to the U.S. mainland from Puerto Rico had a long and complex history prior to Hurricane María in 2017—so pervasive,

Investigating people’s levels of subjective vulnerability to change can help elucidate important aspects of adaptive capacity to impacts. This is particularly relevant in coastal communities with high exposure to natural disasters, such as those in the Caribbean region, especially given projections of increased frequency and severity of storms as a consequence of climate change. In this study, Puerto

Globally, changes in the intensity, severity and frequency of storms threaten potentially catastrophic impacts on fisheries. These threats present a significant challenge to Small Island Developing States because of the important contribution of fisheries to multiple aspects of coastal communities’ wellbeing, including food security, coastal economies, and social and cultural identities. Supporting

Understanding how Caribbean small-scale fishers can adapt to climate change is critical to sustaining coastal communities and livelihoods in the region. Fishers continuously adapt their practices to climate variability and recurring extreme weather events, such as hurricanes. However, it remains unclear how their “everyday” responses contribute to building their adaptive capacity for future changes

For fishers throughout the Caribbean, major storm events such as hurricanes are a significant component of their life experiences. Over the past few decades, fishers in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) frequently experienced major storms and their aftermath, including Hurricanes Hugo (1989), Marilyn (1995), and Irma and Maria (2017). Using the resilience literature as our theoretical lens, we provide historical

A Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) was developed for Barbados to identify geospatial variations in social vulnerability. The SVI focused on socioeconomic status, gender, age, special needs and property type - represented by eight variables selected from census data. For the purposes of overlaying with hazard exposure mapping to assess hazard risk, the SVI that was developed is widely applicable and

The likely increase in extreme rainfall events (ERE) due to climate change, particularly associated with tropical storms and hurricanes, threatens coastal communities worldwide. A model based on socioeconomic and environmental indicators was used to assess and categorize vulnerability to ERE at the municipal level, in Sinaloa, a coastal state of northwest Mexico. Coastal vulnerability was assessed

This paper discusses the impacts of Climate Change and anthropogenic activities on coastal lagoons in Ghana. Ghana’s coastal lagoons provide unique ecosystem services. However, they are highly fragile and vulnerable to natural processes and anthropogenic activities. Climate Change impacts, such as increased temperatures, sea-level rise, storm surge and increased precipitation are likely to have ecological

Extreme rainfall events have a negative effect on the coastal area of Jiadung Township in Pingtung County, Taiwan, which experiences critical land subsidence. Local stakeholders have developed various measures for coping with flooding impacts according to past experience. These adaptive measures not only involve managing the impact of heavy rainfall but also resisting the disastrous effects of land

In September 2017, Hurricane María hit the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico threatening the economic and social viability of small-scale fisheries. This study describes the main results of a rapid socio-economic assessment of the storm’s impacts one year after it made landfall. María caused commercial landings to fall by 20% owing to the loss of productive assets, extended power outages, and the loss of

Investigating people’s levels of subjective vulnerability to change can help elucidate important aspects of adaptive capacity to impacts. This is particularly relevant in coastal communities with high exposure to natural disasters, such as those in the Caribbean region, especially given projections of increased frequency and severity of storms as a consequence of climate change. In this study, Puerto

(2020). Networked Knowledge to Action in Support of Ocean Sustainability. Coastal Management: Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 235-237.

Understanding the physical and biogeochemical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere is a vital component of environmental and Earth system research. The ability to predict and respond to future environmental change relies on a detailed understanding of these processes. The Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) is an international research platform that focuses on the study

Coastal communities are among the most vulnerable to climate risks. Despite the negligence of climate policy at the federal level in the United States, subnational governments have taken action to adapt to climate change impacts. Using national-level data on subnational government climate activities, this research examines three aspects of coastal community adaptation actions. First, it examines whether

Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) is a more holistic alternative to single-species management. Currently, all eight regional Fishery Management Councils in the U.S. are carrying out EBFM planning or implementation. However, uncertainty exists on what principles and strategies are most effective to implement EBFM. In this study, council members in the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management

Globally, Indigenous Marine Areas are contributing to ocean sustainability by protecting key habitats and species whilst safeguarding customary uses for local communities. They are emerging as one of the key political mechanisms that can counteract the ravages of the blue Anthropocene. Nevertheless, their contributions are threatened by the accelerating expansion of economic activities, and exclusionary

This article provides an overview of the approach taken by the Marine Knowledge Exchange Network (M-KEN) and an assessment of its activities in valorizing and generating impact from research. M-KEN was formed in 2014 in response to a call for projects to accelerate impact generated from environmental research in the United Kingdom (UK). M-KEN was university-led and focused in the eastern region of

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread around the world with extensive social and economic effects. This editorial focuses specifically on the implications of the pandemic for small-scale fishers, including marketing and processing aspects of the sector, and coastal fishing communities, drawing from news and reports from around the world. Negative consequences to date have included complete

"This paper reports estimates of the relative and absolute sizes of the coastal population in the United States in the years 1990, 2000, and 2010. The estimates vary greatly among states in both the rate and direction of change, with increases expected for most marine coastal states and declines for most states bordering the Great Lakes. Together, only about 52.9 percent, 53.3 percent, and 53.6 percent

This article presents the results of an impact assessment of a component of a large scale USAID sustainable fisheries management project initiative aimed at integrating gender and strengthening the role of women in fisheries management in Ghana. The assessment is based on a literature review and qualitative field data collection. It assessed gender integration from three entry points: improving the

During the past decades, the number of coastal and marine construction projects has multiplied in China, posing a serious threat to underwater cultural heritage in its waters. In contrast, there are few rules dealing with underwater cultural heritage impact assessment which has not yet become a mandatory procedure in various coastal and marine construction projects. With China putting forward the Belt

Florida’s dynamic beach-dune ecosystem and the structures built along the shore face threats from coastal (or shoreline) erosion, sea level rise, and inadequate regulatory protection efforts. In light of these threats, private property owners are choosing to install coastal armoring on their property to protect upland structures which can negatively impact sea turtles and their nesting habitat. Coastal

Indigenous peoples’ efforts toward environmental conservation are indivisible from their cultural identity and their social and political organizations. Indigenous resurgence, including the reinvigoration and reestablishment of Indigenous ways of living, are linked to the management, restoration, and conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems around the world. However, there remains a significant

Persistent development, population pressures, and increasing natural hazards are unequivocally changing socio-ecological systems in the coastal zone. This essay provides direction and initiates scientific dialog on the potential role of mobility in adapting to natural and social changes in coastal environments. The essay identifies four key research areas on information needed to develop coastal management

Multi-purpose marine protected areas (MPAs) are prevalent world-wide as institutional mechanisms deployed in the marine environment to manage multiple uses, conserve resources and protect ecosystems. Yet some people may experience disadvantage following the implementation of new MPAs. One understudied aspect of MPAs is the distribution of advantages and disadvantages and how best to address the “justice”

Practitioners play a critical yet largely unexamined role in translating collaborative, ecosystem-based management (EBM) for social-ecological systems from theory to practice. We paired mental models and social network analytical methods and applied them to two cases of marine EBM in Rhode Island and New York, focusing on practitioners themselves, to understand the relationship between practitioners’

Marine turtles utilize sandy beaches as nesting grounds, which can be impacted by a variety of coastal modifications. In the context of limited resources, managers need to prioritize which impacts from coastal modifications to mitigate. However, data on the relative impacts of coastal modification activities are not often available. To address this, we determined the perceived relative impact of twelve

States and other jurisdictions may protect coral reefs using biological water quality standards outlined by the United States Clean Water Act (CWA). Such protection will require long-term, regional monitoring of the resource using biological indicators and a probability-based sampling design. A 60-station survey targeting nearshore linear coral reef was conducted across southern Puerto Rico in December

The Verde Island Passage, lying in the “Coral Triangle” and situated between the main Philippine island of Luzon and the island of Mindoro, has been reported as the “center of the center” of shorefish diversity, yet there are no documented successful cases of marine protection. On the northern coast of Mindoro, here focusing on the municipality of Abra de Ilog, an apparent contradiction lies in the

This article reviews key measures of public opinion on sea-level rise (SLR): beliefs, attitudes, issue prioritization, and policy support. To do so, we first assess the influence of SLR beliefs and attitudes on issue prioritization and policy support using state-level data. Then, we compare the state findings to other surveys conducted in a hot spot of rising coastal waters, the U.S. Mid-Atlantic,

Young men in coastal Tanzania are often blamed for damaging marine habitats by engaging in unsustainable and destructive fishing practices, including dynamite fishing, but their perceptions have not been sufficiently documented. While marine scientists, international environmental NGOs, and activists have called attention to the destructive fishing practices’ devastating impacts, insights into the

The positive trend in the cruise industry since the beginning of the twenty-first century brings with it a series of challenges, mainly for cruise lines and ports. Among them is the seasonality of cruise traffic. This study examines the seasonality of the cruise traffic in the Western Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea. A sample of 26 ports in 7 countries forms the basis of the empirical analysis,

Adapting to changing coastlines is an unprecedented planning challenge as coastal hazards, including those associated with climate change, influence all areas of resource management. Tools have been developed to aid in understanding coastal hazards and to facilitate the planning and implementation of adaptation strategies. Through interviews with members of eight geographically distributed state Coastal

The United States contributes only 0.2% of the 18,814 MW of global installed offshore wind capacity. Lack of development has been attributed in part to a cumbersome regulatory process that includes the evaluation of environmental impacts. Assessments are based on biological, social, and technical data that are often incomplete. Marine spatial planning (MSP) may help fill data gaps. We conducted semi-structured

Decades of research has generated new scientific understanding and technologies aimed at better managing environmental change in estuarine and coastal regions. Yet many across the communities of coastal and estuarine research, management, and funding believe that progress has been too slow in applying this research in practice. This essay reviews how the National Estuarine Research Reserve System’s

Global sea-level rise (SLR) is among the most alarming aspects of anthropogenic climate change. The human impacts of SLR are experienced unequally between and within municipalities. Existing research has identified social variables that predict municipal adoption of adaptive SLR policy, but this work does not account for the locally specific social factors that shape particular policies to fit particular

Co-managed territorial use rights for fishers (TURFs) have shown promise for small-scale fisheries management. The territorial use rights help clarify access and ownership rights, while co-management arrangements create formal relationships between fishers and government. However, there is limited research into the governance processes that influence the interactions and complementarities of TURF zones

Studying perceptions of litter and littering behavior among marginalized, poor and undeveloped communities is important since these populations frequently inhabit important conservation sites. Jisr-A-Zarqa ("Jisr"), is a coastal town on the Mediterranean shores of Israel and one of Israel’s poorest, densely populated communities. Litter accumulation in the streets and beach of Jisr is a known problem

The Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan formalized the process for allocating halibut between the Alaska commercial and recreational charter sectors. It included a new program intended to allow for “flexibility” through inter-sectoral trading, permitting charter operators to lease commercial halibut pounds to relax client harvest restrictions. Here we evaluate the first two years of lease market activity

Climate change is increasing the speed at which tangible coastal cultural heritage is changing in character or being lost through weathering, erosion, and inundation. Damages to coastal archeological sites, loss of access to historical sites, and the alteration of cultural landscapes will force changes in the way researchers can study sites, tourists can enjoy places, and descendant communities who

(2019). Sense of Place as a Source of Tension in Canada’s West Coast Energy Conflicts. Coastal Management: Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 189-206.

The South China Sea has attained global attention because of terraria disputes over oil, gas, fisheries and other resources in the sea area. Compared with the valuable natural resources, the underwater cultural heritage is not recognized or considered, but is an important legacy of many losses of vessels over centuries. Recently, the surrounding states in the South China Sea have taken measures to

Special attention has been paid to sustainable macroalgae cultivation in Europe. The question on where suitable cultivation areas lie, without conflicting with current marine socio-economic activities and respecting the environment, remains a great challenge. Considering 13 criteria critical to seaweed farming such as depth, shipping traffic, and distance to ports, this paper aimed to identify suitable

Sea-level rise (SLR) is not just a future trend; it is occurring now in most coastal regions across the globe. It thus impacts not only long-range planning in coastal environments, but also emergency preparedness. Its inevitability and irreversibility on long time scales, in addition to its spatial non-uniformity, uncertain magnitude and timing, and capacity to drive non-stationarity in coastal flooding

This study focuses on adaptation to sea level rise (SLR) in the specific context of the Hampton Roads region of southeastern coastal Virginia. It analyzes the perspectives of stakeholders who are experts in and have experience with SLR to develop an informed understanding of the region’s ability to address SLR and its readiness to pursue adaptation using a whole-of-community approach. A survey of the

Coastal estuaries in the northern Gulf of Mexico are important habitat for wading birds, but are threatened by land use and ecological changes. Conservation has been demonstrated to be more effective when stakeholders are included in the decision-making process. Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) facilitates the inclusion of stakeholder preferences in the planning process by

Coastal communities, indigenous peoples, and small-scale fishers rely on the ocean for livelihoods, for subsistence, for wellbeing and for cultural continuity. Thus, understanding the human dimensions of the world’s peopled seas and coasts is fundamental to evidence-based decision-making across marine policy realms, including marine conservation, marine spatial planning, fisheries management, the blue

Fishing community social networks function as channels for transfer of fishery knowledge, resources, and business transactions that help mitigate risks and shocks associated with altered access to fishery resources. Research on such networks in Alaska is limited despite their cultural importance and community reliance on fisheries. We contribute to scholarship of fishery social networks by assessing

Catch share management was implemented in the bottom trawl sector of the West Coast Groundfish fishery in 2011 to address a range of issues including high bycatch and discard rates. The catch share program was designed to remove the incentives to discard through full catch accounting, tradeable quotas, increased flexibility in fishing, and penalties for catch overages. We assess the effectiveness of

The use of computational models has proliferated in the last few decades due to the practical benefits that they offer in terms of understanding complex systems. However, the process of developing a computational model is not only shaped by scientific and practical concerns. Modelers must also navigate the institutional structures in which the models are constructed and implemented. In the process

We evaluated the potential economic impacts of increasing sea level rise (SLR) along the Mexican Caribbean where there are major gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms controlling flooding duration and frequency associated to future ecological and economic impacts. We determined the negative economic impact of SLR on infrastructure in the largest urban centers (Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Playa del

The world’s oceans and coasts are awash in a sea of politics. The marine environment is increasingly busy, changing, and a site of degradation, marginalization, injustice, contestation and conflict over declining resources and occupied spaces at local to global scales. Themes of political ecology, such as power and politics, narratives and knowledge, scale and history, environmental justice and equity

Fishery management measures often aim to regulate harvesting behavior but can have downstream effects on fish processors, output markets, and consumers. Empirical analysis of these impacts is generally limited due to data availability. In this article, we utilize census costs and earnings data to examine operational characteristics and economic outcomes for shorebased processors before and after implementation

Fisheries management in the USA, as governed by the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), has been decidedly more successful at meeting its conservation goals than has fisheries management in the EU, as governed by the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). In an effort to explain the different outcomes in these two systems that share many management attributes, we evaluated them