Anthropocene Coasts最新文献

Ocean-derived plastic pollution represents a tangible Anthropocene imprint on coastal systems, where natural transport processes and intensified human activities converge. This study examines the composition, functional origin, and spatial patterns of marine litter along eight remote beaches on the central Caribbean coast of Colombia, an ecologically sensitive region influenced by regional fishing fleets, international shipping lanes, and complex hydrodynamic regimes. Using the OSPAR classification system and the newly developed Ocean-Derived Litter Pressure Index (ODLPI), we quantify typological diversity, litter intensity, and functional categories of offshore-sourced debris. Plastics dominate (> 90%) the collected litter, with over 85% linked to fisheries, particularly Abandoned, Lost, or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) and operational containers. Multivariate analyses reveal spatial heterogeneity shaped by ocean currents, wave exposure, and proximity to fishing activity, with hotspots such as Isla Arena reflecting convergence-driven long-range drift. These patterns demonstrate the role of coastal processes in mediating the stranding of human-derived materials and underscore the diagnostic value of remote beaches as passive accumulation zones. Governance gaps are evident, including weak enforcement of MARPOL Annex V and insufficient port reception infrastructure. The disproportionate exposure of remote and underserved communities, despite minimal contributions to sea-based emissions, highlights urgent equity and environmental justice considerations. We propose process-informed, typology-based monitoring indicators and recommend integrating remote beaches as sentinel sites into national, regional, and global marine litter frameworks. By linking geomorphological and oceanographic processes with socio-environmental governance, this research advances multidisciplinary approaches to coastal sustainability, contributes to SDGs 11, 13, 14, 15, and 17, and strengthens the science–policy interface needed to reduce sea-based plastic pollution in tropical and under-monitored coastal regions worldwide.

The northern coast of Java, Indonesia, frequently experiences coastal flooding, including in Semarang City. On May 23, 2022, a severe coastal flood led to an embankment breach, primarily driven by atmospheric phenomena such as the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation (BSISO) which intensified wind speeds and significant wave height (SWH) in the Java Sea. This study investigates wave characteristics during the flooding event using simulations from the Simulating Wave Nearshore (SWAN) model to assess the influence of these atmospheric drivers.

The results reveal distinct wave patterns, with wind speed and wave height increasing significantly from May 19 to May 25, 2022. Wind speeds peaked at 10.3 m/s on May 20 and reached 6.5 m/s at the time of the embankment breach on May 23, while SWH reached a maximum of 0.75 m on May 22 and was 0.6 m during the breach. The BSISO 1 and BSISO 2 indices indicated active intraseasonal atmospheric conditions that corresponded with enhanced wave development. These findings provide new insights into the influence of BSISO on wave amplification and coastal flooding in the Java Sea. The study contributes to disaster mitigation and coastal management efforts by highlighting the importance of incorporating intraseasonal atmospheric variability, particularly BSISO, into flood prediction and adaptation strategies.

Tuticorin Bay (TB), a shallow semi-enclosed coastal system on the southeast coast of India, exemplifies the escalating challenges faced by urbanized tropical bays, where anthropogenic stressors interact with complex biogeochemical processes. This study investigates the spatial and seasonal variability of carbonate system dynamics and air–sea carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes across three hydrologically distinct periods: the southwest monsoon (SWM, August 2018), northeast monsoon (NEM, October 2018), and summer (SUM, May 2019). Surface waters exhibited a wide range of pCO₂ (380–1036 μatm), revealing spatial heterogeneity across distinct biogeochemical regimes. Elevated pCO₂ levels in most regions confirm the bay’s dominant role as a CO₂ source; however, localized undersaturation (~ 380 μatm) during the SWM indicates short-term CO₂ uptake, associated with intense biological production and high chlorophyll-a concentrations (> 50 μg L⁻¹) in the nutrient-enriched north region of the bay. In contrast, the southern bay showed persistently high pCO₂, driven by elevated temperatures (> 36 °C) and enhanced respiration promoted by thermal effluent discharges. Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) exhibited non-conservative behaviour across seasons, with ΔDIC ranging from –487 to + 639 μmol kg⁻¹, highlighting the influence of terrestrial inputs and local metabolic processes. Peak air–sea CO₂ fluxes reached 17.23 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹ during SUM, particularly in low-oxygen zones (< 60% saturation) of the southern bay. These findings demonstrate how seasonally shifting physical conditions and localized anthropogenic pressures govern CO₂ dynamics in a spatially confined tropical bay, underscoring the need for high-resolution assessments of such vulnerable systems to improve regional carbon budget estimates.

Temperate coastal forests can support the resilience of coastal societies by reducing climate-related impacts and supporting people’s wellbeing and connectivity. The ecological diversity within temperate coastal forests makes them especially valuable for ecosystem-based approaches to climate adaptation. However, much evidence on the contributions temperate coastal forests make to people, and the management responses necessary to sustain social and ecological resilience under a changing climate, is context-specific. In response, this paper compares temperate coastal forests over three different geographical contexts which deliver risk-reduction, wellbeing or economic contributions to adjacent communities: Taynish (Scotland, UK); Nijinomatsubara (Karatsu, Japan); and the Curonian Spit (Lithuania). For each, we analyse existing evidence to identify the benefits and values associated with the forest, then characterise potential management responses – and further evidence requirements – to support social and ecological resilience in the coastal forested landscape. We offer four insights, focused on temperate coastal forests but relevant to environmental management for resilience more broadly: the value of management strategies that link marine and terrestrial ecosystems in reducing negative impacts and supporting resilience; the need for management practices that recognise shifting social expectations and values and draw on community-based management practices appropriately; the necessity of attention to fairness and justice in who benefits from management of coastal forests; and the importance of identifying transferable insights from context-specific research to enable effective international learning and knowledge-sharing.

Coastal zones are transition zones between the land and sea, characterised by unique coastal ecosystems and natural resources, making them the focal point of human activities. Vulnerability assessments have been carried out along several coastal zones across the world. These assessments help coastal scientists, engineers, and policymakers prepare plans and devise mitigation measures to safeguard the environment and coastal population against climate change and coastal hazard impacts. The present study evaluates the vulnerability of the Kasaragod coast in Kerala, the west coast of India, due to sea-level rise. Eleven variables, viz. relative sea-level change, mean significant wave height, tidal range, geomorphology, shoreline change rate, regional elevation, coastal slope, population, road/railway networks, tourist sites and land use/land cover are considered in the estimation of the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI). The resulting CVI values were categorized into low, moderate, high and very high vulnerability classes. Based on this classification, 41.33% of the Kasaragod sub-district and 13.26% of the Hosdurg sub-district fall under the ‘very high’ vulnerability category. A significant decrease in vulnerability was observed along the Kasaragod sub-district when socioeconomic variables were excluded from the CVI calculation. However, in the Hosdurg sub-district exclusion of the socioeconomic variables led to increased vulnerability along the coast. The vulnerability maps developed in this study provide a crucial tool for identifying highly vulnerable coastal stretches and guiding effective strategies to safeguard the Kasaragod coast and its communities.

Storm surges and the discharge of high-level pond aquaculture effluent (HPAE) are critical factors influencing the erosion and deposition dynamics of sandy coasts in South China. Understanding the mechanisms by which these factors affect sediment grain size and shape distribution patterns is significant for ecological disaster mitigation and restoration of sandy coastlines. This study examines sediment samples collected from beaches in Western Guangdong, impacted by HPAE, two days and six days after the landfall of Typhoon “Chaba” (No. 2203). We analyze grain size parameters (mean size, sorting coefficient, skewness, and kurtosis) and shape parameters (sphericity, aspect ratio, convexity, circularity, symmetry), focusing on their characteristic values and spatial distribution patterns, as well as the underlying reasons for their similarities and differences. The results indicate that: (1) From two to six days post-typhoon, sediments on the affected beaches near the shore become coarser and less well-sorted, while sediments in the middle region become finer and better sorted. On the unaffected beaches, sediments near the shore become coarser, and those further offshore become finer, with no consistent pattern in sorting coefficient; (2) Landward sediments of the affected beaches exhibit a shift towards a more flattened shape, whereas sediments on the unaffected beaches trend towards a more rounded shape; (3) The correlation between the mean size, kurtosis, and grain shape parameters of the affected beaches weakens, while the correlation between the sorting coefficient and skewness strengthens. In contrast, the unaffected beaches exhibits the opposite trends. This study provides a case for understanding the impact mechanisms of sediment grain size and shape distribution under the combined influence of storms and HPAE. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of sediment dynamics and the role of marine aquaculture in shaping sandy coastal geomorphology.

New Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) technology to harvest energy from the ocean is being developed worldwide, including in Mexico, and it will probably increase in the future. Importantly, as new technologies for MRE electricity production develop, it is necessary to assess the societal perception and the acceptance of these new technologies. Ignoring these is an error that could result in the opposition and interruption of these projects, even if they benefit the environment and society. Thus, this study aimed to explore local authorities' perceptions of the development of a marine energy project off the coast of Cozumel. The approach was qualitative, and the methodology consisted of conducting open interviews with key actors to inquire about the perceived challenges to developing a marine energy project. The results show that the main perceived limitations are social, highlighting the resistance of various groups towards external projects. The resistance to changes in the environment results from previous experiences where the project promoters neither informed adequately the population about the practice of conducting research in the area nor shared the results and did not consider the participation of local actors. 

Steep slopes along narrow-high coastlines are highly susceptible to slope hazards due to road construction and quarrying activities. On December 8, 2024, a landslide occurred on the southern slope of the Black Sea Coastal Highway near the Kıyıcık locality in the Arhavi district (Artvin, Türkiye). This landslide resulted in the loss of four lives and led to the temporary closure of the Black Sea Coastal Highway, which is of both national and international importance. This study aims to investigate the role of the Black Sea Coastal Road construction in triggering the Kıyıcık landslide. The research utilizes historical aerial photographs, high-resolution drone imagery obtained after the landslide, a 1:25,000 scale topographic map, and climate records from 1962 to 2022. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was conducted to determine the mineral composition of the landslide mass, and spatial analyses were performed using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies. The weathering effect of marine moisture and wind on the narrow-high coastal slope, and the erosion effect of heavy waves in stormy weather overtopping the road platform and reaching the slope are natural processes. The landslide mass comprises saprolite and lateritic regolith—products of the chemical weathering of mafic volcanic rocks. Road construction and quarrying operations have increased slope steepness, fracture density in the mafic volcanic rocks, and the intensity of chemical weathering processes. A total of 244.4 kg/m² of rainfall and infiltration between November 16 and 29, 2024, caused water accumulation in the loose regolith, increasing the static load and triggering a translational earth landslide. Tension cracks and fissures observed in the area indicate that the landslide remains active, highlighting the need for further risk mitigation measures.

Conservation of blue carbon (BC) ecosystems, consisting of both the vegetation and the subsoil thereof, has historically lagged behind terrestrial forests due in part to their scientific, socio-economic, and political incongruities. Private buy-in and a whole-of-society approach is necessary to catalyze conservation. However, the involvement of diverse stakeholders begs the question: is conservation their true aim? Or has the commodification of carbon formed a disconnect between monetization and protection of BC ecosystems? In this paper, we present a conceptual link among stakeholders of BC projects and their roles across the project stages, synthesized from semi-structured interviews among actors within the BC credit ecosystem. Thirteen stakeholder categories are identified, with involvement spanning eight project stages from pre-feasibility studies to carbon credit retirement. Stakeholders closer to the supply-side of credits are more aware of conservation but need further awareness of the carbon credit cycle and vice versa for the demand-side. Overall, our findings indicate that conservation is secondary to commodification for most stakeholders. The project developer is the main actor that interacts with and is cognizant of the roles of other stakeholders, thereby having decision-making power in steering participation levels of other stakeholders. It became apparent that the project developer has broad-reaching consequences over the outcomes of the carbon project, implying that their perceptions and receptions regarding commodification versus conservation matters the most. We put forth the following recommendations for better governance of BC projects, amongst others: establishment of nationwide legal frameworks, improved participation of local communities, and institutional accreditation of stakeholders.

In the context of the global climate crisis, the analysis and strengthening of adaptive capacities in coastal urban environments has become imperative. Nearly 40% of the global population lives within 100 km of the coastline, making them critical research hotspots due to their particular vulnerability. This qualitative literature review takes a transdisciplinary approach and prioritizes research that addresses specific challenges and solutions for these vulnerable environments, with an emphasis on resilience to phenomena such as sea level rise, flooding and extreme weather events. The review analyzes articles that offer a holistic view, encompassing green and blue infrastructures, community needs and governance dynamics. It highlights studies that propose innovative strategies to foster citizen participation and explicitly address aspects such as climate justice. By synthesizing interdisciplinary perspectives and local knowledge, this review aims to provide a comprehensive framework for climate adaptation in coastal urban areas. The findings have the potential to inform public policy and urban planning practices.