INTEGRAL MANAGEMENT OF THE SEA

The Integrated Management of Coastal Zones is a subject of public attention around the world.Born in the United States at the beginning of the seventies of the 20th century as the need for integrated public management of the coastline, the integrated management of coastal zones tries to identify and promote measures to remedy the problems that many will face coastal areas, and the deterioration of their environmental, socio-economic and cultural resources.The Community interest in the subject has been justified in consideration of which the coastal problems have a European dimension and can not be solved by States members in isolation; on the influence of the policies and actions of the European Union in the development of coastal areas (policy regional, maritime, transport, fisheries, environment, agriculture, energy, industry); and the need for an exchange of experiences and knowledge in a field still little experienced and in which there is a public demand for substantial policy.

The EU has been taking awareness of the importance of the problematic marina and its connection with the State of the coastal zone, reflecting it finally in Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008, which establishes a framework for Community action for the policy of the marine environment (marine strategy framework directive).It sets a framework and common objectives for the protection and conservation of the marine environment by 2020, for which Member States should assess the needs of marine areas within their competence and, then they shall elaborate and implement coherent management plans in each region and ensure its follow-up.The marine strategy framework directive is an important addition in the “the water framework directive 2000/60/EC” which includes ‘coastal waters’ and ‘transitional waters’ in the unified and integrated management of the hydrological cycle, and which must therefore be of be taken into account for the appropriate ICZM, and, in particular, to achieve ‘management in accordance with the nature of ecosystems’.

Environmental analysis and assessment

Line 3.1: Hydrodynamic modeling of coastal systems and transitional waters. Numerical and physical modeling of coastal processes, coastal circulation and hydrodynamics and outcrop processes, hydrodynamic study of estuaries, estuary-shelf exchange, salt mixtures and stratification of flows, hydrodynamic studies, and human impacts on the environment and its vulnerability. Also turbulence studies, physical modeling in wave and river tanks, numerical modeling and hydraulic projects in transition zones, modeling of the estuarine circulation.

Line 3.2: Coastal geology. Study of the coastal environment from the geological, sedimentological, morphodynamic, seismology, migration and evolution and pollution and risks (including global change and the effect of sea level rise), study of different coastal elements and temporal studies including various periods (Holocene, Paleocene …), and the use of measurement technologies such as GPR radars and sonar.

Line 3.3: Modelling of sediment transport in river and coastal systems. Sediment dynamics of these environments, covering transport, erosion, accumulation, modelling, measurement technologies, impacts and uses.

Line 3.4. Cross-borders matter flows. Nutrients in ecosystems, such as their origin, cycles, vertical and benthic flows, food availability, physical-biological interactions of ecosystems.

Line 3.5. Biodiversity and coastal ecology. This line includes multiple aspects from the individual to the ecosystem.

Line 3.6. Pollution and environmental impacts. Effects of various pollutants (hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides …) on the different compartments of the ecosystems and at different time scales; the use of bioindicator species and bioremediation techniques and regeneration of ecosystems.

Line 3.7. Diagnosis and response of coastal ecosystems to climate change. Ecosystem responses to global change (increase of CO2, sea level, temperature), in different components (phytoplankton, zooplankton, nutrients …) and processes (respiration, photosynthesis …), and the use of various measurement techniques (photogrammetry, UAV, LIDAR, 4D monitoring).

Line 3.8. Legal and economic assessment of coastal ecosystems and environmental impacts. Study of the ecosystems and their environmental, economic, social, local/regional/national, and cross-border impacts.

Line 3.9. Environmental analysis and evaluation. Marine environment management, uses, activities, impacts, benefits, legal aspects regarding their management, environmental strategy, environmental impacts evaluation.

Coastal planning

Line 3.10. Spatial coastal planning. Comprehensive coastal areas management. Includes various aspects such as development instruments, management, urban planning, sustainability, cargo capacity, delimitation and management of national and international maritime zones, use of different methodologies (GIS, remote sensing).

Line 3.11. Coastal economic activity: evaluation and sustainability. Social sustainability, market, corporate social responsibility, public policies, employment.

Line 3.12. Marine and coastal environment governance, integration of terrestrial and marine public policies, social responsibility. Legislative aspects (public policies and strategies, planning and management instruments, fiscal instruments …) and governance (organizations / institutions, levels, conflicts and laws).

Line 3.13. Marine reserves. Economic sphere, management, conservation, modeling and characterization aspects, among others.

Line 3.14. Coastal sustainable tourism. Physical environment, species, human impacts, sustainability.

Line 3.15. Society and Heritage: History, population and conservation. It encompasses everything from contemporary, urban, marine and fishing history, to marine and maritime culture.

Coastal protection and maritime security: engineering and regulation

Line 3.16. Integrated management of the coastal recovery zone and protection structures. Support systems for decision making, risk and vulnerability analysis, measurement of structural forces, video monitoring, laser technologies, coastal erosion, digital terrain models, photogrammetric systems.

Line 3.17. Security, risk and responsibility. Studies and techniques related to risk assessment, optimal inspection, economic analysis of fuel spills, risk governance, state and civil responsibility, ship flag country responsibility, environmental crimes, coastal protection, criminal law, corporate crimes , maritime legislation, design of new emergency plans, digital elevation models, geographic information systems, LIDAR.

Line 3.18. Organization of public response mechanisms to crises. Functions and competences of the International Maritime Organization, international law, the European Union, environmental economics, ports of refuge, risk regulation, pro-active participation.