Table of Contents
Canadian Corner: Coastal & Ocean Management - Just North of Here
NOAA's EPP Scholarship Program: "Changing the Face" of NOAA Science
Message from the President
From the Editor's Desk
2004 Annual Report
NewsNotes
Tsunami Update: Rebuilding Thailand's Coastal Areas
Committee News
TCS Seminar Series
Chapter News
Upcoming Conferences
Canadian
Corner: Coastal & Ocean Management - Just North of
Here
by Larry Hildebrand Back to Table of Contents
Look up, look way up … north that is. There are persistent rumors afoot that there is a significant chunk of coastal and ocean territory north of the 49th parallel (and I don't mean just in Alaska!) and that some pretty interesting things are happening in Canada in the area of integrated coastal and ocean management (ICOM). Upon the occasion of my re-election to the Board of Directors of TCS for a second term (the only Canadian), I thought I'd share some of these developments with you.
It would be fair to say that the development and implementation of formal integrated coastal and ocean management activities in Canada has lagged behind that of the U.S. and other forward-looking coastal nations. However, what we lack in formalized and well-developed ICOM programs at this point, we make up for in superlatives.
For those of you who might have been absent (or asleep) on that day in Grade 8 geography class when Canada was discussed, allow me to bring you up to speed. Canada has the longest coastline in the world. At 243,797 kilometres (those are like short miles) including islands, if you stretched the Canadian coastline out as a single continuous line it would circle the Earth more than six times. We share four "ocean territories" with the U.S. (Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic and Great Lakes) and we have the second largest continental shelf in the world. A whopping 7 million Canadians (only 20% of our total population) live in coastal cities and communities. This, by the way, speaks to why the political commitment to ICOM in Canada has lagged. The average ocean temperature is minus 50 degrees Celsius (not really, but it sure feels like it). We used to have northern cod.
Beyond our boastful statistics, Canada is proud that we're finally advancing our ICOM agenda. In 1997, we passed the Canada Oceans Act which provides the framework and statutory authority for Canada's domestic effort to responsibly manage marine resources. It enshrines our commitment to the sustainable development of the oceans and highlights the integrated management approach that we will take for the protection and sustainable use of the marine environment. Under the Oceans Act, our department of Fisheries and Oceans was assigned the legislative mandate to "lead and facilitate" this process.
In 2002, we released an Oceans Strategy and the companion Policy and Operational Framework for Integrated Management of Estuarine, Coastal and Marine Environments in Canada. The former sets the direction for oceans management in Canada, specifically supporting policy and programs aimed at understanding and protecting the marine environment, supporting sustainable economic opportunities and providing international leadership. It is grounded in the principles of sustainable development, integrated management and the precautionary approach. The Policy Framework is a working document for Canada's oceans community, intended to foster discussion about integrated management approaches.
And in 2005, we will release our Oceans Action Plan (OAP). Confirmed as a Government of Canada priority in the 2004 Speech from the Throne (that's the Government of Canada's annual policy statement, as read by the Queen's representative, the Governor General), the Government is building on its Oceans Strategy by developing an Oceans Action Plan with specific initiatives and short, medium and long-term deliverables. The Federal budget of February 23, 2005 provided resources to launch Phase One of the OAP. We're starting to catch up!
The Oceans Action Plan has four key components. The first is "effective international leadership, sovereignty and security to advance Canadian and global interests." Two items of particular interest here; Canada intends to be the global leader in integrated oceans management. (I know that the U.S. is claiming this honor, but we said it first.) We also plan to work more closely with the U.S. on transboundary and Arctic issues. This presents an excellent opportunity to enhance our long-standing working relationships in transboundary ecosystems such as the Gulf of Maine, Great Lakes and Georgia Basin/Puget Sound.
The second priority in the OAP is centered on the "Health of our Oceans." This will include the development and implementation of a national strategy for marine protected areas (we have 3 federal departments with such responsibilities), and effective regulation and monitoring of oceans activities. The third pillar of the OAP will focus on "Oceans Science, Technology and Commercialization."
And finally, the fourth pillar of the OAP will focus on "Integrated Oceans Management for Sustainable Development." Within this priority, integrated management processes will initially be developed for five large ocean management areas around the country. From where I sit as the Atlantic Region Manager of Sustainable Communities and Ecosystems, it is my role to represent Environment Canada's interests in these integrated ocean management processes and to influence their direction and focus in line with my own department's priorities and those of the Government of Canada writ large.
In terms of ongoing U.S.-Canada collaboration, one of my roles in The Coastal Society is to act as a liaison between TCS and the Coastal Zone Canada Association (CZCA), for which I am the Vice President-Liaison. Conceived in a hotel bar in Seattle, Washington in 1987 and formally established in 1993, the CZCA convenes a biennial conference series just like TCS. We have held six events to date, in Halifax ('94), Rimouski ('96), Victoria ('98), Saint John ('00), Hamilton ('02), and St. John's ('04); our 2006 event will be held in Tuktoyaktuk (bonus points to anyone that can identify all of these locations on a map without consulting an atlas or website). Our two associations have also agreed in principle to convene a joint TCS-CZCA event on the west coast in 2008. If you folks don't have too many challenges travelling to a "foreign land," we'd like to hold the conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.
So
there you have it. This is an auspicious time for our two great coastal
nations as we accelerate our emphasis on and commitment to integrated
and collaborative approaches toward the management of our coastal and
ocean patrimony. I look forward to even stronger Canada-U.S. collaboration
in this regard in the future.
Photograph:Dan Hellin
Larry Hildebrand is Manager of Sustainable Communities and Ecosystems for Environment Canada, a TCS Director and an Adjunct Professor of Marine Affairs at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He can be contacted at larry.hildebrand@ec.gc.ca. To learn more about Canada's coastal and ocean efforts: http://www.sdinfo.gc.ca/reports/en/monograph7/oceans.cfm#21
NOAA's
EPP Scholarship Program: "Changing the Face"
of NOAA Science
Adapted from NCCOS web news Back to Table
of Contents
Through its four-year-old Educational Partnership Program (EPP), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is seeking to increase the number of students from minority-serving institutions trained in sciences directly related to NOAA's mission.
It's no secret that the scientific community overall, including NOAA, simply doesn't "look like" the broad and increasingly diverse American public overall. That's a reality the EPP initiative is trying to address. With an aging work force similar to those of many other federal agencies that got their start in the early and mid-1970s, NOAA considers the EPP an important element of comprehensive succession planning activities. The program is designed to provide financial assistance to minority serving academic institutions to support collaborative research and training of students in NOAA-related sciences through competitive processes.
"Our
scientists need to look more like the nation than we currently do,"
says EPP Director Jacqueline Rousseau, who has headed the effort since
its inception in 2001. She points out that based on the most recent U.S.
Census data, one quarter of the U.S. population is projected to be Hispanic
American by 2050. Referring to the roughly one dozen African Americans
who earn a physical science Ph.D. in the U.S, each year, she expresses
confidence that her program "will change the face of Ph.D. candidates"
nationally and ultimately help change the face of NOAA scientists too.
Through a strictly competitive financial assistance program, the EPP works
with 21 minority serving academic institutions to support collaborative
research and training of students in NOAA-related sciences. The EPP competes
directly with some of the nation's leading scientific universities and
institutions for the most sought-after students and graduates of those
minority serving institutions. Primary emphasis of the program is to help
those academic institutions build capacity in NOAA-related sciences, frequently
by relating their ongoing science programs to the sweeping scope of NOAA
scientific activities.
Students chosen to participate in the EPP spend 640 hours working at various NOAA laboratories and facilities, attending national programs and forums, and working on research cruises alongside veteran NOAA scientists. EPP participants praise the experience they've gained from nearly daily contact with agency scientists and relish the hands-on opportunities they've been given to participate fully in ongoing science and research efforts.
In addition to supporting capacity development at participating institutions, one quarter of EPP funding to each institution goes directly to supporting those students in their onsite work. In roughly half the cases, Rousseau says, the participating EPP student is the first in his or her family to attend college.
The selected students often come with only the vaguest impression of just what NOAA is and what it does. But they leave the program-if indeed they leave, rather than becoming NOAA employees-as marine scientists and aquatic biologists with real-world experiences and insights. Says Adrian Land, a biology graduate of Alcorn State University, now in a five-year microbiology Ph.D. at Indiana University, the EPP experience was particularly helpful in "giving me insights I couldn't get from undergraduate research alone," particularly in terms of the levels of effort and concentration involved in doing professional scientific research. "It taught me how to network and make contact with professional scientists," Land adds. "I never really had known the possibilities of environmental microbiology before I participated in the EPP program." He was given the opportunity to work both in the Silver Spring, MD headquarters and Charleston, SC laboratory of NOAA's National Center for Coastal Ocean Science. Land's experience broadened his microbiology horizons beyond the purview routinely associated with, for example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to include preventative measures associated in dealing with coastal oceans, shellfish harvesting, and recreational uses of coastal oceans.
"It was such a positive experience for all of us," Land says, speaking of his 10 EPP classmates in the 2003 program, many of whom formed a lasting bond that continues well beyond the actual internship. "We did everything together," he says, calling the EPP group "extremely diverse."
For more information on the EPP program, see http://epp.noaa.gov
Message
from the President Back to
Table of Contents
"When I was a boy
I was told that anybody could become President.
I'm beginning to believe it."Clarence Darrow
I imagine that it is customary for the first Bulletin message by a new TCS President to take one of several forms: an (hopefully) eloquent soliloquy of her or his vision of the Society's future; a gung-ho, "rah-rah" oration imploring the members to "get out there and save the ocean"; or perhaps a lyrical waxing on the beauty, mystery and grandeur of the sea, and the humble but important role that TCS can play in sustaining these qualities for future generations. While all of these are certainly laudable and intrinsically genuine, I've decided to offer instead a few words regarding the members of the TCS Board of Directors including Ex-Officio Board Members, Chapter Presidents, and Past Presidents. No organization of any size or purpose can even operate let alone succeed in fulfilling its missions without dedicated, hard-working people who agree to both administer day-to day functions and plan for the continued health and growth of the group.
The Coastal Society continues to be exceedingly fortunate to have outstanding Board members who serve so admirably without remuneration in addition to their very busy professional lives. Following each successful election, they come to the Board while working in several different realms: academia, government agencies of all levels, non-profit organizations, consulting firms, private businesses, and others. Their reasons for wanting to join the Board are also many and varied, save that (I presume) each feels that their efforts as a member of the TCS governing body can make a true difference in the field of coastal and ocean management, in the lives of students and stakeholders, and in helping to create opportunities for outreach and presentation of research. You may have noticed that I used the term "feels" instead of "believes." I do this quite consciously because it's difficult for me to imagine that, since the founding of TCS, any member of the Board would take on the necessary responsibilities inherent with the position without at least some modicum of emotional attachment to either the ocean itself or to other personal and professional aspirations --- perhaps a life-long fascination with the sea. Uh oh, I think I'm slipping into that lyrical waxing that I promised to avoid. Nevertheless, this probably holds true for the great majority of TCS members, constituents and partners, as well. That ardent private connection and the true willingness to work together within a small organization of committed people may be our greatest strength.
As for myself, I am very pleased and honored to call the Board members both colleagues and friends, including the past TCS Presidents whom I look upon as mentors. There are great challenges and opportunities ahead for the Society, but we should all be grateful for the quality of these individuals who give so much of their time and energy for the betterment of TCS. Finally, I would be quite remiss if I didn't acknowledge those responsible for significant changes to the Bulletin. Lindsay Fullenkamp, the TCS Secretary was instrumental in arranging for the addition of our new Bulletin editor, Ellen Gordon, who has maintained a long-standing association with TCS; and Chantal Lefebvre and Dan Hellin at the University of Massachusetts' Urban Harbors Institute who will be in charge of the Bulletin's layout and production. Welcome, and many thanks! We all hope that you enjoy the Bulletin's new look and content, and continue to spread the word and support TCS.
Paul
C. Ticco
TCS
President
From the Editor's Desk Back to Table of Contents
Spring has returned to the Maryland Piedmont. Dusk brings the trills of spring peepers, tiny tree frogs that brave chill nights to announce their annual mating rituals. The wind blowing off the nearby mountain no longer carries the harsh sting of frigid winter temperatures. Migratory red-winged blackbirds have suddenly reappeared in force at our backyard feeder, while in the pasture beyond, the horses nibble eagerly at tiny shoots of green grass almost the moment they erupt from the soil. Breathe deeply and you can feel your nostrils wrinkle with the rich tang of new life emanating from the earth. It is a time of returns and a time of new beginnings. Both phrases describe me as well; someone who worked some years ago in the Federal coastal zone management program, who traveled frequently to states to assist and review their coastal programs, who even longer ago spent a couple of memorable years at the University of Rhode Island getting a Master's degree in Marine Affairs.
Now, though, I am returning from more than a decade-long "sabbatical." My leave of absence gave me time to usher 2 children well along the way toward adulthood, to apprentice to an herbalist, to get involved in organic farming, and to volunteer with a local environmental activist group. I am excited about returning to "all things coastal" as editor of TCS Bulletin. With the assistance of the Board, I am enthusiastic about effecting changes in the Bulletin, to help evolve a document even more useful and responsive to our membership. With our (nearly) all-electronic debut, we can incorporate new information and updates much closer to our "publishing" deadline, so we expect we will be timelier.
Please contact me directly (ellen@gordonballard.com) if there's a change you'd like to see, a suggestion you'd like to make or a subject you'd like to read about. We've inaugurated a new column, "NewsNotes" to provide brief reports on news and changes that affect coastal resources. We have another new feature in the works, a venue for more direct information exchange, "Symbiotes." If you're looking for new ideas for grappling with an issue, and can outline your problem in a couple of paragraphs, email it along to me. Rather than trying to "reinvent the wheel" on your own, we'll publish it and ask for responses.
None of this would be possible without the bedrock assistance of the staff at Urban Harbors Institute (UHI). They are responsible for taking all the articles, columns and information I provide and transforming it into a newsletter! UHI is a public policy and scientific research institute endeavoring to advance the art of marine and coastal management and problem solving. A nonprofit, UHI has demonstrated dedication to these issues, an ability to draw on the expertise of the university community, and a great staff. We are fortunate to have the services of UHI's Dan Hellin, Coastal Management and Marine Ecology Specialist and Chantal Lefebvre, Senior Project Manager.
Whether you're a graduate student or a career professional; writing a paper for a class or for the boss; if you're interested in telling our members about a particular issue or idea and getting your writing published, contact me with your proposal. If you don't have time to write, but there's a topic out there you're the expert on or conversely that you want to learn more about, contact me with your thoughts and we'll discuss how we might get it written.
I hope to hear from coastal colleagues with whom I lost touch during my extended "leave." I'm also looking forward to meeting (in person or via email) many more individuals whose passion has brought them to the coastal field during the last decade. I'd like to close by sharing a personal anecdote that brings me hope for the future of our field and for the resources about which we all care so deeply.
A few days ago I had the opportunity to accompany my son's sixth grade class on an awesome field trip to the Smithsonian's Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, MD. SERC is located on the Rhode River, a tributary, or as they describe it, a "sub-estuary" of the Chesapeake Bay. News about the health of the Chesapeake Bay has been rather dispiriting this last year.
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Photograph:
Ellen Gordon
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After many gloomy, chill days of heavy rain, the day of the field trip dawned sunny and warm. At SERC's waterfront, the children got to travel from station to station in small groups, checking out bay chemistry, collecting and viewing plankton under a microscope and much more. I was "manning" the beach seining station. Each group got to pull on chest waders, which was a first for most of the kids. In pairs, they waded into the river, stretched the net out between them and then walked it back to shore. Much as I really love mucking about, smelling the sharpness of the brackish waters and examining the critters pulled in, my favorite part of the day was watching the kids wade out, and listening to them. To the last child, boy or girl, every one of them began to giggle. Some made it only as far as knee deep before the giggles began. Some got all the way to their waists (which was as deep as they were allowed to go). But every single child giggled! We're all familiar with the much-used phrase, "innocence of childhood," but it was truly appropriate at that moment. Their joy was contagious! Many of them also gasped, sure that they were getting soaking wet. With the magic of the waders they could feel the cold of the water, could feel the pressure of the water squeezing the rubber and neoprene against their legs, but when they emerged and pulled off the waders, they were dry! (Well, except perhaps for one or two who got a bit over-exuberant when they were waist deep and splashed around a little too much.) When they pulled the net up onto the beach, everyone in the group would gather around, picking through algae, aquatic weeds and rotting detritus to look for grass shrimp, blue crabs, eels, amphipods and a variety of small fish. Although some were initially a bit squeamish, nearly every one of the 53 children was willing to gently hold the animals, and transport them to the large temporary containers in which we held them. There we used charts to identify them before releasing them back into the river. By far the most numerous animals we found were tiny amphipods; often, they were doubled up. These being 11 and 12 year olds, the mating amphipods elicited any number of comments of "Ewww, gross!" Nearly every child there begged for a second chance at seining, but unfortunately we had to live with the reality of school day time constraints
I find hope in this experience as I am certain that in that group of 53 young students, there are more than a couple of budding oceanographers, and even more for whom this experience spurred their interest in the natural world, their desire to learn more about aquatic resources and to play a role in ensuring their future.
Ellen
Gordon
ellen@gordonballard.com
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2004 Annual Report Back to Table of Contents
19th
International Biennial Conference
Over 300 participants gathered in Newport, RI last May to discuss how
to measure and assess coastal resources, functions and human impacts,
and how to use the assessments to anticipate, fashion and govern our coastal
futures. TCS maintained its reputation for provocative presentations through
the plenary session on Shifting Baselines; then turned innovative through
its live web cast of the session on the US Ocean and Pew Commissions report
and responses to them. Other innovations included the first Institute
for Future Coastal Leaders, mid-week field trips for all participants,
surfing lessons, and hiring a paid conference coordinator. TCS 19 was
sponsored by a combination of federal agency, NGO and private industry
partners all of which provided additional educational information.
20th
International Biennial Conference
The next conference will be held in 2006 at the Tradewinds Island Resort
in St. Pete Beach, FL, from Sunday, May 14 through Wednesday, May 17.
The theme and topics will be determined from a survey sent to members
in January 2005.
Elections
to the TCS Board of Directors
TCS members elected Kristen Fletcher to a two-year term as TCS President-Elect.
Paul Ticco moved into the position of TCS President, and John Duff began
a two-year term as Past President. Mo Lynch was elected to a second term
as Treasurer. (Secretary Lindsay Fullenkamp continued in the second year
of her three-year term.) Two members were elected to the Board of Directors:
Bob Goodwin, recently retired from the Washington Sea Grant College Program,
and Larry Hildebrand of Environment Canada (reelected). Tom Skinner resigned
from the Board and Ruth Kelty was appointed to fill out the remaining
year of his term. Ariel Cuschnir was appointed to a two-year term, joining
other Board members Tom Bigford, Rick Burroughs, Gib Chase, Laurie Jodice,
and Chad Nelsen.
TCS
Bulletin Produced Electronically
After discussion at the Annual Membership Meeting, the Board moved to
go to exclusive electronic distribution of the periodical to provide members
with more information than possible in the past and to deliver it more
quickly. Electronic distribution will also conserve natural and financial
resources. Paper copies will still be provided to library and institution
members, and to those members who request them.
NOAA
Internship Offered to TCS Members
NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation announced the creation of
an annual 2-6 month internship for a TCS member in their Silver Spring,
MD office. Work on marine and estuarine habitat protection issues included
policy development, resource management, scientific applications, program
implementation. Students and recent graduates were especially encouraged
to apply. The 2004 internship was awarded to Kimberly Lellis from University
of Rhode Island.
Committee Activities
Communications Committee
The committee initiated an effort to gather all past issues of the Bulletin
and make them available on-line in .pdf format. A Request for Proposals
for editing and publishing the Bulletin for 2005 - 2006 was written and
distributed. The Web Site Subcommittee focused on the creation of the
conference web site and on maintaining the regular TCS web site.
Development
Committee
Criteria for accepting conference sponsorships was finalized and a marketing
packet for soliciting sponsors was developed and used for TCS 19.
Education
Committee
Actively participated in the preparation and implementation of the selection
and award of travel assistance for students to the conference, and the
competitive student presentation and paper awards at the conference. Initiated
contact with institutions that participated at the bi-annual conference
to encourage development of "internship programs" for students.
With the help of the Membership Committee developed a procedure for forming
a chapter and a sample memorandum of understanding with TCS, and in May
welcomed the new University of Rhode Island Student Chapter to TCS. Initiated
contact with La Plata University (Argentina) and University of Panama
(Rep of Panama) for the potential creation of a Student Chapter.
Membership
Committee
The committee focused throughout 2004 on developing a plan to attract
new members, retain existing members, and provide the necessary services
to meet member objectives that include career growth, networking, education,
professional development, resource management, and more. The idea of an
overall plan was discussed at TCS19 last May and took shape as the Committee
prepared a draft outline last fall. Our schedule now is to expand the
outline into a complete implementation plan by mid 2005. The plan will
likely draw on TCS committees working on education and communication,
will seek TCS members to assist the Board of Directors with implementation,
and will include both interim and long-term goals. The Committee, and
the full Board of Directors, is seeking to maintain our current balance
of Society size, member services from our main office and Executive Director,
and overall benefits.
Membership as of January 1, 2004 = 351
Membership as of December 31, 2004 = 354
NewsNotes Back to Table of Contents
NEW
NOAA/EPA MOA for Coastal Growth and Development Issues
On January 28, 2005, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement to work together to help coastal communities grow inways that benefit the economy, public health and the environment. The new partnership will seek to deliver the latest information and technology to communities for reusing previously developed land and providing more housing and transportation choices, while preserving critical natural areas and limiting air and water pollution.
With this agreement, the agencies plan to provide training for local government staff and officials; outreach and education on successful policies, ordinances and initiatives and assessments of the impacts of management actions on sensitive coastal areas. For more information, contact john.kuriawa@noaa.gov or lynn.richards@noaa.gov or go to http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/noaamoa.html.
EPA
Adds "Smart Growth" Module to Its Watershed Academy Web
EPA's Watershed Academy has posted a new online interactive training model
that explains how land use changes affect water quality and hydrology;
discusses urban growth factors such as traffic congestion, air quality
and public health; and provides resources on the key principles of smart
growth. This module focuses on the connections between smart growth approaches
and Clean Water Act programs. It includes tools, resources and case studies.
It is located at http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/smartgrowth/.
For more generalinformation about the Academy's online training, go to
http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/.
Photograph: Urban Harbors Institute
Tsunami
Update: Rebuilding
Thailand's Coastal Areas Back
to Table of Contents
Excerpted from EnviroZine, Environment Canada's online newsmagazine
http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroZine/
On January 6, 2005, at a special meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation Leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia on "The Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami," Thailand issued a request for technical assistance in environmental rehabilitation "to address the disfigurement of coastlines, extensive damage to coral reefs and the overall ecosystem affected by the massive tidal waves of the 26 December, 2004." And so, Canadian assistance was offered.
A Canadian mission was sent to Thailand, from January 22 to February 4, 2005, including delegates from Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to lend their expertise on environmental rehabilitation. The Canadian mission worked closely with the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok and the Chulabhorn Research Institute (CRI) in Thailand, to find ways for Canada to collaborate on rehabilitation projects.
The mission found that coastlines were devastated due partially to degradation of the natural coastal environment. Canada has practical experience in integrated community-based coastal zone management so much of the technical assistance is expected to include this along with advice on coastal restoration, education, community-based monitoring and aquaculture development planning. CIDA is currently considering the level of support to be offered; CRI is anxious to begin project work within two months.
Larry Hildebrand, the mission delegate from Environment Canada, teaches courses on integrated coastal and ocean management at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and has provided numerous similar training courses overseas. He is a Director of the Coastal Zone Canada Association, Canadian Coastal Science and Engineering Association and The Coastal Society and also manages Environment Canada's Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP).
ACAP is a community-based program focused in fourteen Atlantic Canada community organizations; initiated by Environment Canada in 1991 to help Atlantic Canadians restore and sustain watersheds and adjacent coastal areas. Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol, the patron and President of the CRI, showed particular interest in the approach of this program. "Environment Canada's experience with community-based coastal management was seen, especially by Princess Chulabhorn, as a great model to emulate in the coastal communities of Thailand," said Mr. Hildebrand. "When I explained our ACAP program to her, she saw great potential to partner up ACAP communities with communities in Thailand that were affected by the tsunami."
The mission toured three of the six affected provinces of southern Thailand. They saw thousands of people left homeless, their productive assets (boats, buildings, soils) destroyed or rendered useless for at least the short term. In some instances residents were left without food and clean water.
The extensive damage could often be attributed to the historical and regular degradation of the natural coastal environment resulting from uncontrolled sprawl of communities and economic activities (shrimp rearing, sugar and rubber plantations, etc.) and unbridled tourism development. This degradation left communities and tourist areas exposed to the full brunt of the sea surge and soils vulnerable to erosion by retreating waves. Deposited on coral reefs and seagrass beds, the eroded sediments not only damaged marine life but also threaten livelihoods supported by fishing and tourist industries.
"We observed unbelievable devastation and human suffering, but also a strong resolve among the people most affected to get on with their lives and livelihoods," said Mr. Hildebrand. "While immediate humanitarian needs were being attended to reasonably well, there is broad recognition that inadequate planning and management of the coastal zone contributed greatly to the devastation wrought. Both the people who live and depend on the coast and the Royal Thai government see this catastrophe as a wake-up call to re-think the use and development of the coastal zone in Thailand and to redevelop it in a much more sustainable manner."
Committee News Back to Table of Contents
Check Us Out!
Interested in making new professional contacts in the coastal field? Have an idea of how The Coastal Society might better benefit you? Consider joining a TCS committee and help make it happen!
Communication
Committee
This committee supports all the functions of TCS, from coordinating with
the Bulletin editor to providing advice on website development and backing
up the conference planning committee. Our primary purpose is to provide
consistency in all TCS communication. We serve as the point of contact
for media and public relations issues. We're looking for individuals interested
in helping us with these efforts, as well as developing new TCS membership
materials. Contact Lindsay Fullenkamp at 202-289-6400 or lfullenkamp@asmfc.org.
Education
Committee
To carry out TCS goals of furthering the education of students and professionals,
the education committee provides students and practitioners with skill
development opportunities. We also oversee Student Award competitions
at TCS conferences. To actively address emerging coastal issues, we partner
with like-minded organizations and seek creative ways to inform others
about coastal concerns. Contact Rick Burroughs at 401-874-4045 or rburroughs@uri.edu.
Membership
Committee
While overseeing member services, the membership committee is also working
to strengthen membership recruitment. Having recently evaluated membership
trends, we're in the very early stages of developing a membership plan.
We're also promoting the addition of new student and regional chapters.
Contact Tom Bigford at 301-713-4300 X131 or thomas.bigford@nooa.gov.
Development
Committee
Our newest committee identifies ways to fund TCS's growth. We're seeking
individuals who can help develop templates and procedures for fundraising
and identifying funding sources. We also assist the conference planners
in developing sponsors. Contact Paul Ticco at 301-713-3155 X242 or paul.ticco@noaa.gov
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Photograph:
Urban Harbors Institute
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by Kim Lellis Back to Table of Contents
The Coastal Society has launched a TCS Seminar Series in the Washington, D.C. metro area for the purpose of providing information and fostering communication between scientists, policy-makers, non-governmental organizations, and other parties involved in coastal and ocean resource management. Several seminars have been scheduled for the coming months. They promise to be interesting while providing valuable information on the scientific and political aspects of ocean governance.
TCS kicked off the first seminar of the series in conjunction with the NOAA Fisheries Service, Office of Habitat Conservation, on March 28, 2005 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Dr. Stuart Fiedel, the Senior Archaeologist with the Louis Berger Group, presented a seminar entitled, "Gone with the Waves? The Archaeological Potential of the North American Coasts." Dr. Fiedel's presentation focused on climate change and the effects of sea level rise and marine transgression on coastal archaeological sites. Coastal sites are currently being inundated, eroded, and lost to the forces of nature, which will continue to occur at an increasing rate as the climate warms. Dr. Fiedel urged coastal managers to engage archaeologists to study these sites and to invest more resources into collecting data, which could prevent valuable information on artifacts, materials, social networks, and human adaptations from being lost to rising coastal waters.
The next seminar in the TCS Seminar Series will be later this spring. Watch the TCS website for details (http://www.thecoastalsociety.org).
If you are interested in presenting at a future TCS seminar, please contact Judy Tucker, Executive Director of TCS, at Coastalsoc@aol.com.
We encourage other TCS regions to develop similar TCS Seminar Series, which will provide a forum for private sector, academic, government professionals and students to actively address emerging coastal issues by fostering dialogue, forging partnerships, and promoting communication and education.
Kim Lellis is the 2004 TCS Intern and a Marine Habitat Resource Specialist in the NOAA Fisheries Service, Office of Habitat Conservation. She can be contacted at Kimberly.Lellis@noaa.gov.
Chapter News Back to Table of Contents
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Photograph:
Dan Hellin
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Cascadia
On
April 21st, TCS Cascadia Chapter will co-sponsor the Shoreline/Coastal
Planners Group’s postponed Winter meeting in Lacey, Washington. The
topic is, “The Intersection of Science and Policy: Applying ‘Best
Available Science’ to Land Use and Resources Management.” About
70 local government and state agency planners and resource managers are
expected to attend. Principal sponsors are Washington Sea Grant Program,
Washington Dept. of Ecology and Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve.
Cascadia Chapter gave $500 to the University of Washington Student TCS Chapter to help bring a national speaker to the “Fisheries, Aquatic and Marine Ecosystems (FAME) Conference. The conference is a two day, one night affair held at the Islandwood Educational Center on Bainbridge Island, April 23-24. The purpose of the conference is to encourage graduate students from across the country to share their research findings and build connections with future professionals in the field. We’re very happy to support this student-run effort.
The Chapter Board “met” in a conference call on Jan. 26th. Top priority actions are to explore sub-regional activities that can engage our dispersed membership in their own locales, i.e. Lower B.C. Mainland, Puget Sound, Corvallis-Newport, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Our Board Secretary position is open. Our gratitude to Moira McEnespy who has filled that role admirably for the last couple of years.
University
of Washington
During the past two quarters of the academic year, the University of Washington
chapter of TCS has put together a number of activities for chapter members
and the university community. This year, we launched “Blue Drinks,”
a monthly gathering for students, alumni, and area professionals interested
in water related issues. In January we held a successful fund drive to
collect donations for coastal communities affected by the Asian tsunami.
In February, we hosted a seminar on “Challenges and Opportunities
for the Makah Tribe and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary,”
where representatives from the Tribe and Sanctuary came to speak about
their experiences in working together to further common interests. Several
chapter members are also involved in planning the “Fisheries and
Marine Ecosystems” graduate student conference to be held in April,
and our chapter is a co-sponsor of this conference.
Solutions
to Coastal Disasters Conference 2005
May 8 -11, 2005, Charleston, SC
FMI:
http://www.asce.org/conferences/cd05/cd05_about.cfm
Environmental
Conflict Resolution (ECR) 2005 Conference
May 24-26, 2005, Tuscon, AZ
FMI: http://www.mediusevents.com/ECR2005
International
Marine Biotechnology Conference
June 7-12, 2005, St. John's, NFLD, Canada
IMBC 2005 will offer an international forum for the world's leading scientist
working at the cutting edge of marine biotechnology. FMI: http://www.imbc2005.org
National
Marine Educators Conference
July 11-16, 2005, Maui, HI
FMI: http://www.hawaii.edu/mcc/oceania/NMEA05TS.html
Coastal
Zone 05
July 17-21, 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
CZ05 will focus on balancing the issues and interests of land and sea.
With over 1,000 participants expected from all over the world, this conference
promises to provide valuable tools, lessons learned, and new ideas to
help address the coastal management issues we're all facing.
FMI: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/cz/
Dunes & Estuaries 2005
September 19-20, 2005, Casino Koksijde, Belgium
FMI: http://www.vliz.be/de2005/
Oceans
2005 MTS/IEEE
September 19-23, 2005, Washington, DC
A major forum for ocean scientists, engineers, industry end users and
suppliers, technologists, educators and researchers, policymakers, and
the public throughout the world to present their latest research results,
state-of–the-art technologies, future concepts, and innovative ideas
to their peers and many others who are involved in the future of our "One
Ocean."
FMI: http://www.oceans2005.org
International
Congress of Seas & Oceans
September 20-25, 2005, Szczecin-Swinoujscie, Poland
FMI: http://www.wsm.szczecin.pl/iirm/kongres/index.htm
The
First International Marine Protected Areas Congress
October 23-27, 2005, Geelong, Australia
FMI: http://www.impacongress.org/
2005
Canadian Coastal Conference
November 6-9, 2005, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
FMI: http://www.ccc2005-ccl2005.ca
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The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the expressed views of TCS nor its Board.