Ocean & Coastal Management最新文献

The impacts of sea level rise (SLR) are already being felt in many populous and low-lying coastal areas worldwide, making it one of the most pressing threats posed by climate change. While public concerns and perceptions regarding SLR have been widely studied, limited research has investigated divergent views on its specific impacts on local communities. This study aims to fill this gap by examining concerns over the economic, physical, and ecological impacts of SLR through a household survey conducted in Florida in 2014. Our findings indicate that residents express the greatest concern about higher insurance premiums, followed by increased contaminants in water supply and destructive storms. Moreover, this study places special focus on gender differences along with other factors contributing to heterogeneous concern levels. Our results demonstrate that women exhibit significantly higher levels of concern than men for all potential impacts associated with sea level rise, with the most pronounced differences observed in physical impacts and less pronounced differences in economic impacts. Furthermore, the gender gap is greater in low-resilience communities and smaller in high-resilience communities across all impacts. These insights provide valuable guidance for the development of adaptation strategies for sea level rise in coastal areas.

Dredging operations present significant environmental risks in estuaries, which can potentially result in alterations to the physicochemical parameters of water and sediment, as well as the biota of the ecosystem. The assessment of environmental impacts in estuaries is challenging due to the dynamic nature of these systems. Furthermore, the inconsistent findings in studies examining these impacts emphasize the necessity of a case-by-case approach for evaluating the environmental consequences. It is crucial to employ various temporal and methodological approaches to evaluate environmental impacts, draw valid conclusions, and propose suitable management measures. However, there is a limited availability of studies that investigate short-term ecological processes. Therefore, the objective of this study is to characterize the short-term responses of physicochemical characteristics in the water column and sediment, particularly focusing on the content of heavy metals, as well as the impacts on community structure. Additionally, the study aims to assess the suitability of stable isotope analysis in two species as bioindicators of nutrient enrichment. The findings of this research indicated no discernible impact from dredging activities on any of the evaluated physicochemical parameters in the water column, sediment, or biological communities. However, the nitrogen stable isotope signals of the goby Pomatoschistus sp. exhibited an effect associated with an increase in certain nutrient levels suggesting its suitability as a bioindicator of nutrient enrichment in human activities. Interestingly, a flood event prior to the latest survey had a more significant influence on all measured parameters compared to the dredging operation. Changes in salinity and other factors related to freshwater management in the Guadalquivir estuary may have a more substantial impact on soft-bottom communities than other pressures. Consequently, management efforts should be directed towards mitigating these pressures to foster more stable communities.

The International Maritime Organization employs technical and operational indicators to assess ship energy efficiency. Weather conditions significantly impact ship fuel consumption during voyages, necessitating the consideration of this influence in energy efficiency calculations. This study aims to design models for estimating the impact of weather components on fuel consumption and develop correction factors to cope with the weather effect on the fuel consumption of container ships for different sea states. Using model-based machine learning, the study analyzes noon reports and hindcasted weather data from two sister container ships. It quantifies weather-induced fuel consumption across various sea states, ranging from 2% to 20%, with an average of 7%–13% depending on the model used. Correction factors specific to each sea state are derived, and different approaches for their integration into energy efficiency indicators are proposed. This study advocates tailored weather correction factors for energy efficiency metrics tied to specific sea states, emphasizing the need for standardized weather impact assessments. Prior to any formal policy application, future work is needed to address the limitations of the present study and extend this approach to various ship types and sizes and different geographical regions.

Coastal deltas, housing 4.5% of the global population, face profound shifts due to climate change and intensified human activities. This study utilizes the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) for detailed land cover dynamics and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs (InVEST) models for ecosystem services assessment, focusing on 46 global coastal deltas under future scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP585). Our findings reveal a 145% increase in urban areas from 1995 to 2015, with expected continuations in urban sprawl. Grassland and barren areas are projected to diminish by up to 15% and 5%, respectively, with urban areas potentially expanding by up to 39% across scenarios. Significant decreases in surface water yield under SSP245 and SSP585 could challenge water sustainability. Moreover, a universal decline in carbon storage necessitates enhanced carbon sequestration strategies. Soil retention is anticipated to decline, leading to increased erosion risks, while habitat quality varies, improving in 29 deltas under SSP126 but worsening in 33 under SSP245 and SSP585. These insights underscore the urgency of strategic, adaptive land use planning to bolster ecosystem services, directly supporting the United Nations' Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and advancing global sustainable delta management.

We studied hydrological and geomorphological transformations in the Don River Delta, South Russia, due to river engineering and climate change over century and decadal time scales and how these transformations affect integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). The most eastern and one of the largest of Mediterranean-Black Sea delta basins, the Don River Delta is under-represented in international studies. The impacts river runoff (RR), fluvial sediment delivery (FSD), waves and marine surges on changes in the migration of the delta front (DFM) were assessed. There were several major river changes beginning with the construction of the Tsimlyansk dam in 1952. FSD decreased dramatically from 1933 until the present and the Delta changed its functional state from river-dominated to wave-dominated starting in the mid 1990s. Annual maximum water height (MHA) in the center of the Delta increased in variability and amplitude from the mid-1980s and was more influenced by strong marine surges as a result of more frequent westerly winds. Climatically-induced surges interacting with waves caused increased erosion of the delta front, but brought in high levels of resuspended marine sediments. FSD was statistically positively related to DFM by the end of the 20th century. DFM was statistically positively related to MHA by the end of the 1990s. We assessed the risk of coastal flooding caused by more frequent and stronger surges over the last forty years on economic damage for the settlements in the Don Delta.

We conclude that ICZM for the Don Delta is needed now because urban population growth increases exposure to more frequent coastal flooding in the Delta and recent changes of DFM negatively influence protected areas. A coastal management plan to address erosion and flooding is a first step of ICZM of the Don Delta.

In the case of the Canary Islands (Spain), human occupation on beaches has generated environmental and landscape transformations and a loss of their geoheritage values. In this sense, this archipelago could be a good example to demonstrate the paradigm at the regional scale at first and island scale at second, that the colour and composition of the beaches are determinant for urban-tourist development. The beaches with the colour and composition that managers and promoters prefer most are those that have withstood the greatest anthropogenic pressure, and may lead to socio-environmental conflicts. For this, the aim of this work is to characterize and identify beach typologies according to their sedimentological characteristics, the degree of urban-tourist occupation, and the environmental changes and artificialisation that have taken place over the last sixty years in the beaches of La Palma, Tenerife and Fuerteventura. For this purpose, the General Catalogue of Beaches and Maritime Bathing Areas (the latter were excluded from the study) issued by the Canary Islands Government was used. This source was spatially and statistically analysed using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and related to socio-environmental variables extracted from geo-referenced sources. Orthophotos from 1957 and more recent years were also used for the historical characterization. Finally, this information was contrasted with social preferences, obtained from online surveys, about the physical configuration of Canarian beaches. Results show that the quantity and distribution of beach types (grain size and beach colour) differ for each island, and that beach use depends on its typology, with sandy beaches being the most used as an urban-tourist resource and pebble-cobble beaches the most transformed to respond to sand beach user demand. These and other factors that have affected the evolution of these beaches and the degree of conservation of their natural functions and geoheritage values are discussed. The responses to the survey show significant patterns related to user profile and preferences regarding the beach environment and recreational services. The importance of social preferences and beach transformation is discussed to understand the evolution of beach management in the Canary Islands and the identified conflicts.

The impacts of fishing activities on habitats for commercially important species may, directly and indirectly, influence species and associated communities. These effects include those on target species, bycatch species, habitats, etc. In this study, the impact of small-scale fisheries on habitats was evaluated in four fishing communities from the Northwest Mexican Pacific. The species and size selectivity of several fishing gear were evaluated, and the spatial distribution of catches was studied to assess the impacts of fishing gear using a Consequence Spatial Analysis (CSA). Our results showed that in finfish fisheries from Guaymas and Isla Natividad, the catch of the target species represents more than 75% of the total catch and in El Rosario, the catch represents less than 50%. We assessed 42 habitat types in four communities, which were qualified with low-risk scores. The fishing gears used to target commercial species are selective to optimal sizes above their maturity size. The results contribute to improving management in data-poor fisheries by evaluating the impacts of fishing on habitats and discussing their relevance for implementation.

As an effective means of coordinating sea use conflicts and promoting ecological conservation, Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) has been well-known by more and more countries. The study has developed an issue-oriented solution for Koh Sichang and its surrounding sea areas in Thailand. Through multi-source data collection and on-site survey, the characteristics of abundant coral reef resources, numerous waterways and mooring areas have been identified. Then, corresponding thematic studies and zoning were conducted, including cassava scatter risk prediction, habitat risk assessment, demarcation of aquaculture priority areas, and scenario analysis. The results show that: (1) Cassava powder accumulates northeast of Koh Sichang and adjacent areas and distributes as high as 84%, with significant diffusion under south wind. Suggest strengthening maritime transport supervision; (2) Human activities have led to a 100% moderate risk for coral reefs around Koh Sichang. While under conservation pattern, the proportion could be reduced to 30%, highlighting the urgency of protective measures; (3) Contrasting the protection and development patterns reveals the double-edged sword effect of the development of tourism and transportation industries on the environment, emphasizing the need to uphold the concept of sustainable development and ecosystem-based management.