OTS - Coasts - A Vital Habitat Under Pressure (part 1)
2017. November 16. 18:00
Hamburg, Kiel, Berlin, 16 november 2017, (APA/MTI) - Maribus gGmbH,
the Consortium of German Marine Research and the Cluster of
Excellence "Future Ocean" are taking on the crucial habitat of the
coast in the new "World Ocean Review 5" which covers a large range
of topics from the fight against natural threats to coastal
protection and concepts for conservative use.
16th November 2017 Hamburg, Berlin, Kiel. Since time
immemorial, the coastal habitat has been one of the most valuable
areas on earth: A great part of fishery takes place in coastal
waters. Wind energy, natural gas and oil production benefit from
offshore infrastructure, and sand as a resource for the
construction industry is obtained on the coast. Without harbors,
global trade would be unthinkable and, last but not least, the
coasts are among the most popular recreational and tourist
destinations in the world. To this day, the attractiveness of the
coasts for humans remains unbroken - in economic as well as
cultural terms.
"Coasts - A Vital Habitat Under Pressure" is the theme of the
fifth volume of the publication "World Ocean Review" (WOR).
Published by the non-profit maribus gGmbH with support from the
magazine mare, the International Ocean Institute (IOI) and coastal
researchers from the German Marine Research Consortium (KDM) and
the Kiel Cluster of Excellence "Future Ocean", the new issue of the
marine science publication is dedicated to this particular part of
the earth with in-depth information on the development, use and
future scenarios for responsible use.
"The still booming habitat harbours both boon and bane," says
Nikolaus Gelpke, editor of "World Ocean Review", founder of the
magazine mare and board member of the International Ocean Institute
(IOI). "I am certain that with this issue we will contribute to a
topic of increasing importance, the coasts of our earth." The
population on the coasts is growing disproportionately worldwide.
13 of the 20 megacities with more than 10 million people are
located in the immediate vicinity of the coast. The United Nations
estimates that around 2.8 billion people are now living at a
distance of no more than 100 kilometers from the coast - half of
them in areas up to only ten meters above sea level.
The coastal habitat is booming, but use and protection are out
of balance in many regions. For example, areas where sand is mined
resemble inhospitable lunar landscapes. Chemicals, pesticides,
plastic particles or fertilizers reach the ocean unfiltered. The
natural protective function of coasts is being replaced by concrete
infrastructure, and climate change will raise sea levels in the
near future to the extent that today, entire areas can only be
preserved with comprehensive protection measures.
"Protection and use need a new orientation, as demanded by the
Agenda 2030 Sustainability Goals, especially the Ocean Goal. The
increasing interest in the ocean and the coasts in political
dialogues and associated protection demands is a hopeful sign,"
says Prof. Martin Visbeck, Speaker of the Kiel Cluster of
Excellence "Future Ocean" and head of the Research Unit Physical
Oceanography at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.
But how did coasts even come about? How do coasts differ
worldwide? How do we maintain their natural functions and how do we
achieve sustainable use - not only in the developed world? What
strategies are useful to counter the threat of sea-level rise? And
which political and legal options can be implemented to be able to
act internationally? The fifth edition of the "World Ocean Review"
examines the history of the development and evolution of the
world's coasts, their service for nature and people, and the impact
of climate change on the coasts. The "WOR 5" ranges from the fight
against natural hazards and sea-level rise to coastal protection
and concepts for more conservative use.
The study of coastal seas has a long tradition in Germany and a
wide range of different branches of science is exploring coastal
seas worldwide. "This edition of the "World Ocean Review" presents
current knowledge on various facets of the theme of the coast in
compact form," says Prof. Ulrich Bathmann, Chairman of the
Consortium for German Marine Research (KDM). "The contributing
experts are pooling their information to meet the challenges of
future changes in coastal seas."
The "World Ocean Review 5" was presented on 16th November 2017
at the Schleswig-Holstein's Permanent Mission in Berlin as part of
an evening event with guests from politics, business, science,
media and education.
Images will be available for download starting on 17th November
(following the event) online at www.worldoceanreview.com
Links:
www.worldoceanreview.com
www.mare.de
www.deutsche-meeresforschung.de/en/index
www.futureocean.org (continues)
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