Coastal environments: An holistic appraisal

Coastal environments are some of the most dynamic on earth and represent the interface between the marine, land and atmosphere. The changes within these systems occur at a variety of spatial and temporal scales and often contemporaneously. This makes study of these areas highly complex. The coastal zone has a long history of research including geomorphological analysis, covering processes and landforms, sea level change, past, present and future, ecological studies of communities and habitats down to individual species, and anthropogenic studies of settlement patterns and use of resources in the coastal zone.


In many cases these disciplines work independently of each other and sources of funding and intended outputs are quite distinct. This can result in a lack of communication between the different disciplines and potential collaborations are often neglected or unrecognised. Given the current knowledge on climate change and likely effects on the coastal zone, it is important that an holistic approach is adopted to maximise our current understanding.

The aim of this conference is to bring together researchers who work in coastal environments and encourage discourse and dissemination of information that could be mutually beneficial. To achieve this four sessions will be arranged that will each be opened with a key note speaker who will present a ‘State of the Art’ review of methods that will enable delegates to reflect on, and share ideas about, how better integration of research between the disciplines may occur.

The sessions were: