Highlights:

• FEC Webinar: Integrated Approaches to Coastal Management along the Gulf of Guinea on 24 May
• Summary Report of the FEC Fellows Session: 'Pathways to Coastal Sustainability: Just Transitions’ on 24 April
• Recruitment: Administrative Assistant for the International Project Office China
• Induction of FEC Academician Dr. Gerardo Perillo into the Argentina National Academy of Sciences
• Upcoming event: Future Earth Coasts-PACPATH Open Day Activity at SRI 2023
• Upcoming event: Future Earth Coasts - IES Joint Webinar on 28 June
• Upcoming event: Eurolag workshop for the Circles of Coastal Sustainability
• FEC Dialogue with Academy Members: Dr. Nalin Wikramanayake, Dr. Weiguo Zhang
• FEC Academician's Pick: Prof. Dr. Luiz Drude de Lacerda
• Assessment of the Magdalena River delta socio-ecological system through the Circles of Coastal Sustainability framework
• Evaluating marine areas in Fiji
• Social innovation that connects people to coasts in the Anthropocene
• Updates from FEC affiliated projects: Resilient Lagoon Network, Pacific Ocean Pathways

The FEC Webinar ‘Just Transitions: Integrated Approaches to Coastal Management along the Gulf of Guinea’ took place on 24 May. This event gathered up to 50 researchers globally. Speakers from FEC IPO Ghana provided insights into identifying and empowering vulnerable communities in coastal ecosystem restoration; ensuring sustainable livelihoods in small-scale coastal fisheries; developing new participatory governance models for coastal environmental management and decision-making; and characterising the under-representation of scientists from lower-latitude nations in global scientific research into aspects of the marine environment.

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Summary Report of the FEC Fellows Session 'Pathways to Coastal Sustainability' on 24 April

Dr Leslie Mabon

Open University, UK

The FEC Fellows Session ‘Pathways to Coastal Sustainability: Just Transitions’ took place online on 24 April. This webinar focused on the FEC theme ‘Pathways to Sustainability’ that aims to identify plausible Pathways to coastal sustainability to avoid unwanted futures. Dr. Leslie Mabon drafted the summary report as a co-organiser.

"The just transitions scholarship more broadly has gone beyond a narrow focus on workers and economies in high-emitting regions, to encompass much bigger questions about how to manage the transition to a sustainable and net-zero society fairly. In the same way, our session illustrated the multiple ways in which a just transition for coasts can be understood. These key questions of ensuring a just coastal transition is genuinely transformative, inclusive to different experiences and knowledge systems, and guided by an understanding of who is responsible for past and present-day environmental damage will serve as guiding principles for our subsequent Just Transitions on Coasts sessions."

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Recruitment: Administrative Assistant for the International Project Office China

FEC and ECNU are seeking a candidate to fill the position of the Administrative Assistant for IPO-China (State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai).

Job Requirements:

• Have a Master’s degree or higher in marine sciences, geography, ecology, environment and other related disciplines with relevant research experience or knowledge background;
• Experience in event planning and project coordination is desirable;
• Have excellent skills in written and spoken English and communication;
• Work conscientiously and proactively with strong execution ability; Have the ability to multi-task as well as work well independently.

Please send a CV and a cover letter describing your research interests and explaining why you are interested in the position, as well as the contact details of two referees to [email protected] before 6 June 2023. Please use “Your Name + FEC IPO China Assistant” as the email subject heading. Applicant data will be treated strictly confidential. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend interviews and tests.

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FEC Academician and Director of IPO Argentina Dr. Gerardo Perillo was inducted into the Argentina National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his life-long dedication to science. The Induction Ceremony took place on 12 May. It was organized by the National Academy of Sciences to celebrate his scientific and life achievements and what he has done for the development of Argentina.

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FEC and the PACPATH project will co-organize an open day activity on 28 June at SRI 2023 in Panama – the sustainability game ‘Get the Grade’. It is a role-playing game designed to engage a wide range of people on natural resources and water management. The game is targeted to a variety of audiences—policymakers, conservationists, companies, and community representatives, and other stakeholders. The purpose is for these diverse individuals to experience and embrace the complexities and opportunities of working together for better basin health.

'Get the Grade' illustrates how management decisions have a ripple effect and impact a variety of stakeholders; demonstrates the importance of engaging diverse stakeholders in natural resource management; supports team building and collaboration; and introduces socio-environmental Report Cards as one tool to help inform decision making.

Healthy Rivers for All, a partnership between the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (FEC IPO USA) and the World Wildlife Fund, worked with game developers from the Engagement Lab at Emerson College to produce the game.

The Eurolag workshop for the Circles of Coastal Sustainability

The Eurolag workshop for the Circles of Coastal Sustainability jointly organized by EuroLag, Future Earth Coasts, Lagoons4Life, and the Murray Foundation is open for registration.

• Contact organisers:

Alice Newton [email protected]

Esther Ollivier [email protected]

Piotr Margoński [email protected]



• Target Audience:

Advanced researchers with access to extensive, multi-disciplinary data about one (or more) coastal lagoons. The workshop will be limited to 20 participants. Participants will be briefed prior to the workshop by the organizers on the type of data that will be necessary for the workshop to be productive.

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This interview series ‘FEC Dialogue with Academy Members’ celebrates careers and life accomplishments of FEC Academy Members. They have been generously passing on knowledge and experience to the next generation of young coastal scientists to empower them with not only professional development opportunities but also life advice on ways to succeed despite challenges and difficulties. By featuring these dedicated and remarkable scholars in coastal sciences, we want to inspire young scientists to enter science careers, and recognize role models of successful researchers.

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FEC Academician's Pick

Assessment of the Magdalena River delta socio-ecological system through the Circles of Coastal Sustainability framework

David Gallo-Vélez, Juan Camilo Restrep & Alice Newton

Abstract

River-mouth systems and deltas are hotspots where many of the coastal syndromes can be found. Moreover, these systems provide essential ecosystem services (e.g., recreation, food provisioning, protection against natural hazards). The present study focuses on the socio-ecological system at the delta of the Magdalena River in the central Caribbean Region in Colombia. This research seeks to assess the multidimensional sustainability of the Magdalena river-mouth system (MRm-SES) to improve the knowledge basis for its integrated management. To do so, an assessment tool named “Circles of Coastal Sustainability” (CCS) was used to evaluate the system splitting it into four domains (environmental, social, economic and governance) that were divided into 5 categories each. These domains were evaluated through a total of 52 indicators distributed like this: 16 for the Environmental domain, 16 for the Economic domain, 12 for the Social and Cultural domain and, 8 for the Governance domain. The results show that the overall sustainability of the MRm-SES is classified as “Satisfactory.” None of the domains is in “Excellent” or “Bad” conditions. However, the evaluation of the categories shows that four (4) of them have “Poor” conditions (i.e., Social Benefits, Demographics, Economic Security, and Resources Management). Hence, it is recommended to put those categories at the centre of the discussion to define management strategies (e.g., Preserving and restoring habitats; tackling sources of pollution and excessive sediment; local reduction of net Greenhouse Gas and adaptation to climate change; participation of local communities in the management design and implementation), without disregarding the interrelation with the other categories and dimensions. Finally, it is argued that despite all the improvement opportunities, the CCS is a valuable tool to evaluate and communicate with different stakeholders (academic community, managers and decision-makers, local communities, etc.), to improve the sustainability of coastal systems in Colombia and the world.

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Evaluating marine areas in Fiji

Natasha Pauli, Julian Clifton & Carmen Elrick-Barr 

Involving locals in marine conservation and management has been promoted to improve livelihoods and marine life. A study shows how community-based initiatives can be designed appropriately to generate desired social, economic, and ecological outcomes.

Fiji has one of the largest and longest-established locally managed marine area (LMMA) networks in the world, encompassing 22% of nearshore fishing areas. Each LMMA is uniquely designed to meet local needs with support from partners, building on customary tenure and fishing rights. A comprehensive study of Fijian coastal villages by O’Garra and colleagues in Nature Sustainability shows that, although community-based marine management can create the mechanisms to deliver conservation benefits, this does not always translate into positive social and ecological outcomes.

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Louis Celliers, María Mañez Costa, Lena Rölfer, Shankar Aswani & Sebastian Ferse

Abstract

Post-industrial society is driving global environmental change, which is a challenge for all generations, current and future. The Anthropocene is the geological epoch in which humans dominate and it is rooted in the past, present, and future. Future sustainability is building on the momentum of the fundamental importance of studying human dynamics and governance of coupled social and ecological systems. In the Anthropocene, social innovation may play a critical role in achieving new pathways to sustainability. This conventional narrative review uses a qualitative analysis anchored in the Grounded Theory Method and a systematic collection and analysis of papers to identify broad types of social innovations. Scientific journal articles published since 2018 were prioritised for inclusion. The six types of social innovation proposed are (a) authentic engagement; (b) artful and engaging communication; (c) urging and compelling change; (d) governance for social-ecological systems; (e) anticipation in governance; and (f) lived experiences and values. The six innovations proposed in this paper can be embedded within, and form part of, social action using a science–society compact for the sustainable development of coasts in the Anthropocene.

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Updates from FEC Affiliated Projects

Bezerra, Moisés & Goyanna, Felipe & Lacerda, Luiz. (2023). Risk assessment of human Hg exposure through consumption of fishery products in Ceará state, northeastern Brazil. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 189. 114713. 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114713. 

Celliers, Louis & Manez Costa, Maria & Rölfer, Lena & Aswani Canela, Shankar & Ferse, Sebastian. (2023). Social innovation that connects people to coasts in the Anthropocene. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures. 1. 1-22. 10.1017/cft.2023.12. 

Pauli, Natasha & Clifton, Julian & Elrick-Barr, Carmen. (2023). Evaluating marine areas in Fiji. Nature Sustainability. 10.1038/s41893-023-01136-2. 

Gallo Velez, David & Restrepo, Juan & Newton, Alice. (2023). Assessment of the Magdalena River delta socio-ecological system through the Circles of Coastal Sustainability framework. Frontiers in Earth Science. 11. 10.3389/feart.2023.1058122. 

Chen, Y., Deng, B., Zhang, G., Zhang, W., & Gao, S. (2023). Response of Shallow Gas‐Charged Holocene Deposits in the Yangtze Delta to Meter‐Scale Erosion Induced by Diminished Sediment Supply: Increasing Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 128(1), e2022JF006631.

Day, J. W., Twilley, R. R., Freeman, A., Couvillion, B., Quirk, T., Jafari, N., ... & Meselhe, E. (2023). The Concept of Land Bridge Marshes in the Mississippi River Delta and Implications for Coastal Restoration. Nature-Based Solutions, 100061.

Lange, M., Cabana, D., Ebeling, A., Ebinghaus, R., Joerss, H., Rölfer, L., & Celliers, L. (2023). Climate-smart socially innovative tools and approaches for marine pollution science in support of sustainable development. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures, 1, E23.

Pickering K, Pearce T, Manuel L, Doran B & Smith T, 2023, ‘Socio-ecological challenges and food security in the ‘salad bowl’ of Fiji, Sigatoka Valley’. Regional Environmental Change, 23, 61. 

Harvey N & Smith TF, 2023, ‘Key lessons from new perspectives on Australian coastal management’, Ocean & Coastal Management, Volume 239, 15 May 2023, 106581

Sengupta, D., Choi, Y. R., Tian, B., Brown, S., Meadows, M., Hackney, C. R., ... & Zhou, Y. (2023). Mapping 21st century global coastal land reclamation. Earth's Future, 11(2), e2022EF002927.

Elrick-Barr CE, Clifton J, Cuttler M, Perry C & Rogers AA (2023). Understanding coastal social values through citizen science: The example of Coastsnap in Western Australia. Ocean & Coastal Management, 238, 106563. 

Lange, M., Cabana, D., Ebeling, A., Ebinghaus, R., Joerss, H., Rölfer, L., & Celliers, L. (2023). Climate-smart socially innovative tools and approaches for marine pollution science in support of sustainable development. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures, 1-20.

Alice Newton, Michele Mistri, Angel Pérez-Ruzafa and Sofia Reizopoulou. (2023). Editorial: Ecosystem services, biodiversity, and water quality in transitional ecosystems, Front. Ecol. Evol., Volume 11.

Huddleston, P., Smith, T. F., White, I., & Elrick-Barr, C. (2023). What influences the adaptive capacity of coastal critical infrastructure providers?. Urban Climate, 48, 101416.

Elegbede, I., Lawal-Are, A., Favour, O., Jolaosho, T., & Goussanou, A. (2023). Chemical compositions of bivalves shells: Anadara senilis, Crassostrea gasar, and Mytilus edulis and their potential for a sustainable circular economy. SN Applied Sciences, 5(1), 44.

Wolff M, Ferse SCA, Govan H (eds) (2023) Challenges in Tropical Coastal Zone Management - Experiences and Lessons Learned. Springer International Publishing, Cham, Switzerland. 

Datta, Satabdi, Roy Joyashree (2022) Exploring Adaptive Capacity: Observations from the vulnerable human coastal environmental system of the Bay of Bengal in India. Frontiers in Climate. Vol 4.

Smith, T., Elrick-Barr, C., Thomsen, D., Celliers, L., & Le Tissier, M. (2023). Impacts of tourism on coastal areas. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures, 1, E5.

Laubenstein T, Smith TF, Hobday AJ, Pecl GT, Evans K, Fulton EA & O’Donnell T, 2023, ‘Threats to Australia's oceans and coasts: a systematic review’, Ocean & Coastal Management, 231 (published online 29 Oct 2022)

Li, Y., Robinson, S.V.J., Nguyen, L.H., Liu, J., 2023. Satellite prediction of coastal hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Remote Sensing of Environment 284, 113346. 

Pereira, C.I.; Botero, C.M.; Ricaurte-Villota, C.; Coca, O.; Morales, D.; Cuker, B.; Milanes, C.B. Grounding the SHIELD Model for Tropical Coastal Environments. Sustainability 2022, 14, 12317.

Mabon L and Kawabe M (2022) 'Bring Voices from the Coast into the Fukushima Treated Water Debate' PNAS 119 (45) e2205431119.

Rölfer, L., Abson, D. J., Costa, M. M., Rosendo, S., Smith, T. F., & Celliers, L. (2022). Leveraging governance performance to enhance climate resilience. Earth's Future, 10. 

AM Foley, S Moncada, M Mycoo, P Nunn, V Tandrayen‐Ragoobur, ...Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change 13 (3), e769

Peng, Y., Sengupta, D., Duan, Y., Chen, C., & Tian, B. (2022). Accurate mapping of Chinese coastal aquaculture ponds using biophysical parameters based on Sentinel-2 time series images. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 181, 113901.

Rölfer, L., Celliers, L., & Abson, D. J. (2022). Resilience and coastal governance: knowledge and navigation between stability and transformation. Ecology and Society, 27(2), 40.

Brendel, A.S., Ferrelli, F., Piccolo, M.C., Perillo, G.M.E., 2022. Procesamiento de datos satelitales ópticos y de radar para la detección de cambios morfométricos: el caso de la desembocadura del río Sauce Grande (Argentina). Caminhos de Geografia 23:85-94. DOI 10.14393/RCG238658189. ISSN 1678-6343.

Castiglioni, E., Gaucher, C., Perillo, G.M.E., Sial, A.N., 2022. Marine deposits of the Chuy Formation (Late Pleistocene) and isostatic readjustments in the area of Laguna de Rocha (Uruguay). Agrociencias 26:e799. doi:10.31285/AGRO.26.799.

FERREIRA, Alexander Cesar; LACERDA, Luiz Drude de. Mangrove restoration in ne brazil: a unified contribution to adapting to global climate change. Arquivo de Ciências do Mar, Fortaleza, v. 55, p. 219-230, 2022. Especial Labomar 60 anos.

Ferreira, A. C., Borges, R., & de Lacerda, L. D. (2022). Can Sustainable Development Save Mangroves?. Sustainability, 14(3), 1263.

Rölfer, L., Elias Ilosvay, X. E., Ferse, S., Jung, J., Karcher, D. B., Kriegl, M., ... & Walker, E. Z. (2022). Disentangling Obstacles to Knowledge Co-Production for Early-Career Researchers in the Marine Sciences. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9.

de Lacerda, L. D., Ward, R. D., Borges, R., & Ferreira, A. C. (2022). Mangrove Trace Metal Biogeochemistry Response to Global Climate Change. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 47.

Raikes, J., Smith, T. F., Baldwin, C., & Henstra, D. (2022). Disaster risk reduction and climate policy implementation challenges in Canada and Australia. Climate Policy, 1-15.

Elrick-Barr, C. E., & Smith, T. F. (2022). Current Information Provision Rarely Helps Coastal Households Adapt to Climate Change. Sustainability, 14(5), 2904.

Anthropocene Coasts

special column

Special Issue: Coastal hazard risk in the Anthropocene

GUEST EDITORS: 

Bruce Glavovic, Massey University, New Zealand

Robert J. Nicholls, University of East Anglia, UK

For this Special Issue, Anthropocene Coasts invites manuscripts that focus on coastal hazard risk in the Anthropocene, including ecological, cultural, social, economic, and governance (including political, administrative, policy and legal) considerations.

MILESTONES

• Dec. 1st 2022: Open call for abstracts Opens
• Jun. 30th 2023: Open call for abstracts closes; submit MS for 2x independent review
• Dec. 30th 2023: Manuscript submission deadline

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Special Issue: Material transport and eco-environmental dynamics across the river-estuary-coast shelf continuum under changing climate and human activities

GUEST EDITORS: 

Aijun Wang, Third Institute of Oceanography, China

Bong Chui Wei, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

SM Sharifuzzaman, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh

Cherdvong Saengsupavanich, Kasetsart University, Chonburi, Thailan

For this Special Issue, Anthropocene Coasts invites manuscripts that focus on material transport across the river-estuary-coastal shelf continuum under changing climate and human activities from a range of disciplines (e.g., biology, ecology, geomorphology, hydrology, oceanography, sedimentology, coastal zone management, and multidisciplinary topic).

Milestones

• Nov.10th 2022: Decision to proceed / not proceed with SI
• Dec. 1st 2022: Open call for abstracts Opens
• Jun. 30th 2023: Open call for abstracts closes; submit MS for 2x independent review
• Oct. 30th 2023: Manuscript submission deadline

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Most of our subscribers are coasts-related researchers. If you would like to put some recruitment information or share some latest news about coastal research in FEC monthly newsletter, please feel free to contact us through [email protected].