qut.edu.au
The worlds coastlines are highly varied ranging from the flat, coastal plains to high, cliffed shores. The geomorphological processes acting on the coastal zone and the relationships between the landforms present, and the sedimentary and hydrological regimes, are often complex. Coastlines are highly dynamic, constantly eroding and accreting as a result of the influence of waves, tides, winds and other forces. In addition, coastlines have provided a wide range of resources for human activities for many thousands of years and continue to do so. Coastal ecosystems contain a range of habitats, are important for carbon sequestration and nutrient recycling and amongst other things, offer many opportunities for leisure and recreational activities.
However, present and predicted climate changes will affect all aspects of the coastal zone. Increasing sea level and storminess will cause flooding and erosion, and in some cases coastal squeeze will result in habitat loss. Pollution and eutrophication will also affect the coastal zone as it comes under increasing pressure for development. It is therefore crucial that research within the coastal zone is both cross- and inter-disciplinary in order that robust, long-term, sustainable management strategies can be developed that are informed by high-quality data.
In keeping with previous All at Sea meetings, the overall aim will be to bring researchers from a range of disciplines together to share and disseminate knowledge on a variety of topics focussed within the coastal zone. There will be four sessions each of which will be opened by a key note speaker who will outline the most up-to-date research in their respective fields.
Sessions
1. New methods to observe and reconstruct coastal change
3. Nutrients and ecology of the coastal zone and how they improve our understanding of climate change
4. What challenges remain in understanding past and future sea level variability?
Contact
Queries and submissions may be sent to allatsea2013york.ac.uk (allatsea2013[at]york[dot]ac[dot]uk).
For more information visit the All at Sea website.