The coastal zone is a valuable resource which provides a diversity of benefits. The difficulties facing the coastal zone tend to fall into three categories: (1) Pressure and conflict on resources. The beach residence value, an indicator of land use pressure, implies that, of the Australian states, New South Wales' coastal zone is under the greatest pressure. Associated with population is development pressure. Many forms of development are not compatible, hence conflicts of interest can arise. (2) The dynamic nature of the coast. That is, the physical and biological aspects of the coastal zone are in a state of flux. The dynamics make predictions for management controversial. (3) Organisational problems. The lack of direction, lack of coordination and fragmentation of management leads to ad hoc management of this valuable resource. This evaluation identified and confirmed the relevance of coastal issues which led to the enactment of the Coastal Protection Act, 1979. The coastal issues investigated were: coastal erosion and development; coastal erosion and protection works; coastal land degradation; degradation of coastal habitats, fish and wildlife resources; recreation opportunities; pollution; and increasing population pressure and competition betweeen alternative uses. The administrative arrangements for management of the issues were investigated. A broad range of coastal issues were evaluated using a mix of indicators with standards of comparison to measure progress. Management tools, policies and strategies used to address the issues were investigated. Finally prescriptions to further address the issues were made as was how to implement the prescriptions. The evaluation noted: increasing coastal population and development pressure; numerous examples of conflicts of interest; complex and often bewildering administrative arrangements for coastal zone management; widely varying levels of performance by agencies; and a lack of direction and co-ordination from State authorities. The principal conclusion was that strategic planning needed to be undertaken through a lead coastal agency. The lead agency should clarify and improve direction, co-ordination and co-operation in coastal management. This should improve the effectiveness of management and reduce the incidence and duration of conflict among the different and competing coastal values. This evaluation of the effectiveness of coastal management, at a State level, should not only assist New South Wales but also other States in the management of this valuable resource.

Coastal zones are hotspots of global environmental changes. Worldwide, coastal environments face multiple, interactive stressors caused by both natural and anthropogenic impacts on climatic, oceanographic, ecological, and socio-economic processes such as sea level rise, storm surges, hurricanes, land subsidence, and population growth. The coastal U.S. is highly vulnerable to many of these climate and human-induced stressors. Over the past three decades, sea levels have risen by about 0.1 m along the U.S. coasts, with an additional projected increase of 0.2 to 0.3 m by 2050, and up to 2.0 m by the end of the century. The rise in sea levels will cause tides and storm surges to reach further inland, significantly altering flood regimes in coastal cities. By 2050, potentially damaging coastal flooding is expected to occur ten times as often compared to a baseline for the start of the 21st century. Moreover, these changes along the U.S. coastlines vary regionally and locally due to either positive or negative changes in land elevation over time (i.e., vertical land motion (VLM)). Lowering of land elevation (i.e., land subsidence) exacerbates sea level rise and the risk of inundation along coastal zones, presenting significant security challenges to coastal ecosystems, infrastructure, and populations. These dynamic and interacting stressors necessitate continuous monitoring to inform effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. Earth observation data allows for accurate, high-resolution, and continuous measurements of changing coastline. Despite the increasing availability of Earth observation data, current methods for monitoring VLM along coastlines lack the necessary spatial resolution and continuous coverage to accurately assess localized surface elevation changes. In this dissertation, I introduce a framework to jointly invert interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) data to provide semi-continuous measurement (50 m spatial resolution) of VLM for the contiguous U.S. coasts from 2007 – 2020. Combining the VLM dataset with projected sea level rise using different scenarios, I estimate flood hazards exposure for 32 major U.S. coastal cities by 2050, demonstrating that current measurements and frameworks underestimate flood vulnerability in several cities by not accounting for local and regional high-resolution VLM data. Next, I evaluate the possible drivers of land subsidence, exploring the relationship between spatio-temporal dynamic VLM and groundwater withdrawal from aquifers in major U.S. cities. Additionally, I assess the hazards and risks of land subsidence to infrastructure and wetlands along U.S. coasts. Finally, I extend this analysis beyond the U.S. coastline, investigating how land subsidence is linked to the incessant occurrence of building collapses in Lagos, Africa's most populous coastal city. / Doctor of Philosophy / Coastal areas worldwide are under significant stress from both natural and human-made changes, including rising sea levels, flooding, storms, hurricanes, land sinking, and population growth. The U.S. coasts are particularly affected by these issues. Sea levels have risen significantly over the past few years, with further increases expected in the near future. As sea levels rise, tides and storm patterns will change; thereby altering the flood frequency and magnitude in coastal cities. Land sinking exacerbates the impact of sea-level rise and flooding, affecting people, buildings, and the natural environment in coastal cities. These factors change over time, so they must be constantly monitored to develop effective strategies for adaptation and mitigation. Here, I used satellite-based tools to monitor land changes over time, identifying areas where the land is sinking. I combined this information of where land is sinking with sea-level rise data to estimate the areas that will be vulnerable to flooding by 2050 in 32 U.S. coastal cities, including Boston (MA), New York (NY), Virginia Beach (VA), Charleston (SC), Miami (FL), New Orleans (LA), Galveston (TX), and San Diego (CA). I also examined the causes of land sinking, particularly how groundwater extraction can lead to land sinking and the risks this poses to buildings and the natural environment along the U.S. coasts. This research highlights the impact of climate change and human activities on the U.S. coasts and the importance of continuous monitoring to enhance coastal resilience against current and future challenges.

Fjords contain a significant quantity of sediments deposited in coastal zones over the last ~100,000 years. Studies of Northern Hemisphere fjords have shown that a large part of the high concentration of sedimentary organic matter (OMsed) is terrestrial in origin (OMterr), composed of a modern detrital fraction and an old mineral-associated fraction (OMfossil). These results suggest that fjords are disproportionately responsible, on a per area basis, for the burial of organic matter in coastal zones. This study, after a rigorous examination of CuO and GDGT biomarker methods used to quantify terrestrial organic matter in coastal environments, demonstrated this hypothesis in a Southern Hemisphere fjord system, Fiordland, New Zealand. CuO analysis of Doubtful Sound surface sediments indicated a large contribution of vascular plant material to fjord sediments. The BIT Index correlated strongly with both delta13C and C/N values in Doubtful Sound surface sediments, indicated that it may accurately trace the relative proportions of marine and soil organic matter (OMsoil) in Fiordland. However, a detailed analysis of the conversion of the BIT Index to quantitative estimates of terrestrial (soil) organic matter revealed that these values are overestimates. Reconstructions of the BIT Index and tetraethers in cores from two locations on the Louisiana continental shelf demonstrated the influence of the crenarchaeol term on BIT Index-based terrestrial organic matter estimates. The differences in the applicability of the BIT Index to these two coastal environments was most likely due to large seasonal changes in productivity on the Louisiana Continental Shelf as well as higher marine relative to terrestrial inputs. Six cores were reconstructed for contributions from marine OM (OMmar), OMfossil, and OMterrestrial representing the last ~500 years of sedimentation. Spatial variations were larger than temporal variations, owing to negligible development and deforestation in the region. OMterr was the dominant fraction in all but one core, and OMfossil inputs were significant. Additionally, source reconstructions from a variety of biomarkers indicated that Landslides deliver large volumes of detrital organic matter to fjord sediments. These results confirm that fjords bury quantitatively significant volumes of organic carbon on a global scale.

The Gulf of Mexico is a shared resource at risk. It is facing many problems such as exponential population growth, degrading water quality, consequences of oil and gas activities, unsustainable exploitation of resources, and lack of public education and political interest. In response, Mexico and the United States have devised their own set of programs and strategies to best manage their coastal zones. There have been a few official coastal management efforts between the U.S. Gulf states and Mexico. However, the existence of these collaborative programs does not supplant the need for a binational, integrated coastal management effort. Texas and Tamaulipas have participated in these cooperation programs, but direct coastal collaboration between the two states has been limited. Although there is an obvious disparity between the two regarding CZM practices, both states face similar challenges that require a cooperative effort and combined resources. This report explores different alternatives for binational cooperation between Texas and Tamaulipas at the regional level, in the context of the existing CZM frameworks and strategies of each state. / text

The thesis work has studied mainly autonomous adaptation measures used by local communities against natural hazards. In course of time the climate change will make these hazards frequent and severe challenging peoples capacity to cope with them. The work is conducted as a case study in nine coastal agro-ecological zones of Bangladesh. Coastal zones have socio-economical potential but are at the same time vulnerable to destructive effects of climate change in agriculture, human settlements, health, ecosystem and security. In collaboration with the Department of Environmental sciences in Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, adaptation measures practiced at study areas have been gathered and then evaluated using a rated set of eleven criteria which has been derived from principles of sustainable adaptation. As a result of this study several adaptation measures show high sustainability, some medium but most of them with a low sustainability in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and implementation ability. The conclusion is to enhance local adaptive capacity in terms of its hazards context and to modify adaptation measures to be more sustainable.

The ocean is, with its extraordinary ability to regulate the climate and absorb carbon dioxide, a vital ecosystem for all life on the planet. Moreover, the ocean is highly important for coastal communities as a source of income and nutrition, and as a consequence of increasing dependence it is becoming more significant to mitigate the effects of these anthropogenic activities on the ocean and its resources. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one of the policies implemented in order to diminish these impacts through the protection of high biodiversity areas by safeguarding nursing grounds for fish species, help remove excessive pollutants and nutrients and through the provision of more sustainable tourism and recreation opportunities. This thesis explores how MPAs influence coastal zones by assessing the environmental and economic impacts. Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area (ANEP MPA) has, due to the complexity of this social-ecological system, been used as a case study. The thesis will help relevant stakeholders to gain an understanding of the current progress being made and how the effectiveness of the MPA can be further improved. Furthermore, this thesis could be used as an example on how to balance environmental and economic development agendas in coastal communities. During this research, a case study design was used, where data was collected through ten in-depth interviews. During the interviews, the participants’ perceptions where gathered on how the establishment of the MPA has impacted the marine life, the local activities (marine tourism, fishing and ship-to-ship bunkering (STSB)) and the local environmental awareness. Afterwards, the data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings have shown that the establishment of the MPA has mixed results on the marine life and the local activities, which has led to a deficiency in the effectiveness of Addo Elephant National Park MPA. The local environmental awareness appeared to be too small, but whether or not the MPA contributed to growing awareness could not be said from the data alone. The data concluded that this lack of awareness led to a misuse of ocean resources, which aggravated due to a lack of enforcement. Furthermore, the overall enforcement within the MPA should be improved to enlarge the effectiveness of Addo Elephant National Park MPA.

Research question: What do dive tour operators perceive to be contributing factors for environmental change in coastal zones? Purpose: The aspiration is that the study will advance the understanding of factors impacting coastal zones in order to support achievements for Agenda 2030, Goal 14, Life Below Water. The purpose of the field study is therefore to investigate what aspects impact coastal zones through the case of the coastal zones in Moalboal. The study’s perspective is from workers within dive tour operations.  Method: The study was conducted through a qualitative strategy and an inductive approach. The empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with dive tour operators. Additionally, observations were used to add further insight into the phenomenon.  Conclusion: This study concluded that dive tour operators have similar perceptions of the impacts on the environment, however, the degree to which each participant mentioned each factor varied. The research resulted in eleven factors that contribute to environmental change in the coastal zones in Moalboal. The conclusion ends by highlighting that environmental change is an important aspect that concerns the dive tour operators.

La pêche, activité ancestrale, contribue aux moyens d’existence de 10 à 12% de la population mondiale. La pêche artisanale génère plus de la moitié des captures mondiales et fournit 90% des emplois correspondants. Au Mexique, elle fournit de l’emploi à plus de 350 000 pêcheurs, organisés principalement en coopératives. Au Sinaloa, « terrain » de la thèse, les coopératives de pêcheurs artisanaux se sont progressivement enfoncées dans une crise qui met en péril leur survie. Elles sont soumises à des défis endogènes et exogènes qui se renforcent mutuellement. Les politiques publiques liées à la pêche artisanale privilégient la préservation de l’environnement et ne contribuent pas à la sortie de la pauvreté des populations côtières. La thèse fait l’hypothèse que cette sortie de la pauvreté nécessite des politiques publiques qui prennent appui sur les coopératives de pêcheurs artisanaux et qui intègrent les trois piliers du développement durable : l’environnement, l’économie et les droits humains. Sur la base d’une étude de cas approfondie et pluridisciplinaire, la recherche propose des outils et des pistes pour l’action qui s’articulent autour d’un modèle ad hoc de renforcement des coopératives. Elle propose notamment un outil de diagnostic de celles-ci, et les conclusions suivantes ont été dégagées : 1) leur rôle économique, social et environnemental justifie leur pérennité 2) cette pérennité incombe tant aux coopératives elles-mêmes qu'à d'autres acteurs 3) les politiques publiques environnementales doivent non seulement intégrer les dimensions économiques et socioculturelles concernant la pêche artisanale, mais doivent aussi mettre en place des moyens légaux qui garantiront leur efficacité. / Fishing, an ancestral activity, contributes to the livelihoods of 10 to 12% of the world's population. Artisanal fisheries generate more than half of the world's catches and provide 90% of the corresponding jobs. In Mexico, it provides employment to over 350,000 fishers, organized mainly in cooperatives. In Sinaloa, the location of the fieldwork, artisanal fisher’s cooperatives have gradually sunk into a crisis that threatens their survival. They are subject to mutually reinforcing endogenous and exogenous challenges. Public policies related to artisanal fisheries that favour the preservation of the environment do not contribute to lifting poverty out of coastal populations. The thesis hypothesizes that poverty exit requires public policies that rely on artisanal fisher's cooperatives and that integrate the three pillars of sustainable development : the environment, the economy and the human rights. On the basis of an in-depth and multidisciplinary case study, the research proposes tools and avenues for action based on an ad hoc model for strengthening cooperatives. In particular, it proposes a tool for diagnosing them, and the following conclusions have been reached : 1) their economic, social and environmental role justifies their perpetuity 2) this perpetuity is the responsibility of both, the cooperatives and other stakeholders 3) environmental public policies must not only integrate the economic and sociocultural dimensions of artisanal fisheries but must also establish legal means to ensure their effectiveness.

L'installation de récifs artificiels est une solution classiquement proposée pour soutenir la petite pêche artisanale. C'est dans ce but qu'a été déployé dans la baie de Marseille le plus grand ensemble de récifs artificiels de Méditerranée. Ce système offre une opportunité de comprendre le fonctionnement trophique de ces structures par (1) la caractérisation des sources de matière organique (MO) (2) la détermination de leur utilisation par les consommateurs et (3) leur devenir au sein des réseaux trophiques. Ces questions ont été appréhendées à l'aide des isotopes stables du C et du N, de la caractérisation biochimique des sources de MO et de l'analyse des contenus stomacaux des poissons.Les sources de MO présentent des différences isotopiques et biochimiques, reflet de leurs fonctionnements différents. La MO particulaire en suspension est un pool variable influencé par les apports allochtones et soumis aux forçages climatiques. Elle est la source principale de MO sur les récifs artificiels. La production primaire benthique est très hétérogène et de qualité nutritionnelle faible. Elle contribue aux réseaux trophiques des récifs par le biais des détritus qu'elle produit. Enfin, la MOS est un pool détritique de faible qualité nutritionnelle. Les récifs artificiels ne modifient pas la structure et le fonctionnement des communautés naturelles de poissons et leur offrent des ressources alimentaires variées et importantes. L'ensemble des résultats acquis, via les isotopes stables et les contenus stomacaux, montrent que les récifs artificiels sont des producteurs de biomasse à partir des productions primaires locales. / Artificial reefs are a classical tool used to sustain small scale fisheries. In Marseille's Bay, the largest Mediterranean artificial reef system was deployed for this purpose. This system is a valuable opportunity to better understand the trophic functioning of artificial reefs, by (1) characterizing the organic matter (OM) sources, (2) determining how they are used by low trophic level consumers and (3) following their fate in the trophic networks. These issues were assessed by three approaches:C and N stable isotope ratios, biochemical composition of OM sources and fish stomach content.OM sources display isotopic and biochemical differences reflecting their functioning. Suspended POM is variable, under the influence of allochtonous inputs and controlled by climatic forcing. POM represents the main OM source of the artificial reef food webs. The benthic primary production has heterogeneous C and N stable isotope ratios and exhibits mainly high insoluble carbohydrates contents. Benthic primary production is integrated into trophic networks mainly in the form of detritus. Eventually the sediment organic matter is a detrital pool, characterized by a low variability and a poor nutritional quality.Artificial reefs do modify the organization and the functioning of natural fish communities, and provide diversified and important food resources. Stable isotope and stomach content analyses confirm the consumption of artificial reef invertebrates by small carnivorous fishes, preyed themselves by piscivorous predators. All these results confirm that artificial reefs can efficiently increase fish biomass by local production based on phytoplanktonic and local benthic OM sources.

El present estudi té com a principal objectiu el disseny d'un Sistema d'informació Ambiental(SIA). El principal instrument utilitzat per obtenir la informació amb aquest sistema d'informació són els indicadors. Concretament, el SIA ha estat desenvolupat per ser usat en els processos de gestió integrada de zones costaneres (ICZM), de manera que els indicadors empratsintenten ser representatius dels principals elements econòmics, socials i ambientals queinteractuen en les zones costaneres. El procés de disseny d'aquest Sistema d'InformacióAmbiental es pot dividir en diferents sub-objectius:- el primer consisteix en la recerca de tota la informació socio-econòmica i ambiental actual que es consideri necessària. A banda d'aquesta informació s'ha de generar aquella informació que es consideri important per a la gestió i per la comprensió de la situació actual dels sistemes naturals que es troben a la zona d'estudi.- el segon objectiu és la creació del sistema d'indicadors, dividits en: sectorials, de gestiói de condició. Cada indicador ha de tenir un protocol pel seu càlcul i la seva futurarepetició. Un cop mesurats es representaran gràficament per facil itar la sevainterpretació.- el darrer objectiu consisteix en l'anàlisi i en la síntesi dels resultats obtinguts del càlculdels indicadors. Per la síntesi s'utilitza una anàlisi de components principals que estradueix en un conjunt d'indicadors estratègics. Per l'anàlisi s'utilitza l'equació I.P.A.T.que ens ha de permetre relacionar els resultats obtinguts mitjançant els indicadors ambla sostenibilitat territorial de l'àrea d'estudi.- Finalment, de les conclusions s'han de despendre una sèrie de recomanacions per alsgestors i per l'empresa privada, amb la finalitat d'assolir una gestió més sostenible de lazona costanera.En el disseny del SIA i per tal d'assolir els diferents objectius, s'ha utilitzat el modelconceptual D-P.S.I.R. d'anàlisi dels conductors "drivers" (D), les pressions (P), els estats (S),els impactes (I) i les respostes (R). Aquest model està àmpliament reconegut per la OCDE i altres organitzacions internacionals, i és emprat en l'anàlisi de la problemàtica ambiental.