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Launched in August 2023, FEC CYBER-COAST is a group dedicated to studying coastal environmental changes using cybernetics and ecological energetics. Their main focus is understanding feedback interactions in ecosystems, especially the role of ecosystem engineers. Through idea sharing and collaboration, CYBER-COAST will create a framework for interpreting coastal environmental changes using cybernetics and ecological energetics, aiming to provide operational forecasts and guidelines for ecosystem management. Additionally, the group will seek funding and leverage its diverse consortium partners to advance ecosystem conservation and sustainable coastal development globally.

Event Details

Date: 20 October

Time: 11am UTC 

Event Highlights

The event is a convergence of cutting-edge research and collaborative action, highlighting the significance of embracing change in our ecosystems and understanding the temporal variability in critical transitions. Experts from the Cyber-Coast working group will present and share their research concepts, enhancing our comprehension of coastal dynamics through a cybernetic lens, and emphasizing the intricate interplay between bioturbation, energy utilization, information processing, and sediment dynamics. Moreover, it will address the pressing issues of our era with a profound analysis of ecosystem functioning changes in anthropogenized estuaries, offering crucial insights into our global future. This event will also encapsulate the spirit of Marine SABRES, an EU-funded research project that unites 21 partners in a mission to restore marine biodiversity and promote a sustainable blue economy through practical ecosystem-based management. By co-developing and testing socio-ecological systems in diverse marine regions, it exemplifies the journey toward making ecosystem-based management a tangible and impactful reality.

Registration

We look forward to your presence at this important event. Feel free to invite colleagues and friends who share an interest in this critical topic. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact us at fecchina@ecnu.edu.cn. Thank you for considering our invitation, and we hope to see you at the webinar.

Click to read the abstract

The post Welcome to Join FEC Webinar: A CYBERnetic perspective on COASTal environments appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

The CYBER-COAST working group, co-founded by Dr. Francesco Cozzoli and Dr. Xiaoyu Fang, aims to explore the intricate realm of Coastal Cybernetics, which encompasses the intricate interactions and feedback loops between living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of coastal environments, including human activities, infrastructure, resource extraction, and waste generation. These feedback mechanisms play a pivotal role in shaping the structure, function, and resilience of coastal ecosystems.

During the meeting, Dr. Francesco Cozzoli (Italian National Research Council, Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems IRET) introduced the core concept of cybernetics and its application in coastal sciences. He highlighted the hierarchical organization of systems and ecosystems, emphasizing how cybernetic principles can help explain the complex dynamics at play. These principles can illuminate the role of ecosystem engineering in triggering feedback loops that amplify or mitigate changes within ecosystems, shedding light on information dynamics within these systems.

Dr. Xiaoyu Fang ((East China Normal University, State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research), co-executive director of Future Earth Coasts, introduced the overarching objectives of the CYBER-COAST working group. She emphasized the group’s mission to deepen our understanding of coastal ecosystems through cybernetics while fostering collaborative knowledge exchange. This framework will promote the creation of synergistic feedback loops among researchers, thereby fostering a collaborative environment. This approach aims to drive scientific progress and facilitate the sharing of insights among experts.

Keynote presentations were delivered by Prof. Mike Elliott, vice-chair of Future Earth Coasts, and Prof. Gerardo Perillo, FEC Academician and director of FEC IPO Argentina. Prof. Elliott advocated for an integrated model that combines natural and social sciences, governance, and management to effectively assess and manage human activities in marine environments. He proposed a unified model distinguishing ecosystem services from societal goods and benefits, aiming to enhance marine environmental management.

Prof. Gerardo Perillo presented an innovative concept, the estimation of ecosystem Inner Value based on a free energy approach. This non-instrumental and objective measure reflects an ecosystem’s intrinsic value, independent of human valuation. It could serve as a tool to evaluate and model ecosystem health before and after anthropogenic disturbances, potentially becoming a requirement for Environmental Impact Assessments.

The discussion session centered on the future work plan, including the formation of sub-working groups, communication strategies, membership, and funding opportunities. The meeting showcased the collective expertise of the CYBER-COAST working group, highlighting the synergy between research ideas and the diverse skills and knowledge brought by its members.

The CYBER-COAST working group’s efforts promise to revolutionize our understanding of coastal ecosystems and their management, forging new frontiers in ecological science and sustainability.

The post Inaugural Meeting of the CYBER-COAST Working Group: Advancing Coastal Cybernetics for Ecosystem Sustainability appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

Bruce’s research centres on the role of governance in building resilient and sustainable communities. He focuses on coasts and the roles of land-use planning, collaboration and conflict resolution at the science-policy-practice interface. He is co-Editor-in-Chief of Ocean & Coastal Management.

He was Coordinating Lead Author of the sea-level rise chapter in the IPCC’s Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (2019). He is a Cross-Chapter Paper Lead and Lead Author in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. He led the team that prepared South Africa’s White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development (2000) – the basis of the world’s first Integrated Coastal Management Act (2009).

(1)  Could you share with us what career achievement you’re most proud of?

Thank you very much. And hopefully these reflections are of some interest but also stimulate anyone who’s listening as they reflect on their own career path and make plans going forward. And sometimes I think only when you’ve been working for some time that you can look back and make sense of where you’ve come from. It’s not always so easy to plan deliberately ahead, because circumstances change over time. Perhaps the point of departure is to say what it is I’m doing now because what I’m doing now is a product of where I’ve come from and what I have been doing in the past.

My main work is now based in New Zealand at Massey University. We are focused on coastal governance in particular, how we make choices at the coasts. I focus on natural hazards planning with the particular focus on coastal hazard risk and climate change adaptation, for those three clusters of areas of work. And I’m particularly interested in how we make choices in society and in communities and how we turn intention into action in the face of change. And the term Anthropocene might be familiar to you and to people that are watching or listening. Anthropocene is the human era and it reflects the huge impact that people have had on, you know, cities, towns, but across the world. And I’m particularly interested in how we might bridge science, policy and practice. In many ways, my career has centered on this interface between science, policy and practice. A lot of the work I do is centered on that. So, one of the areas of professional practice because I’ve spent probably close to 12 years in working in government and running a consulting organization before going into academics. For the last two decades have been at a university. So, I’ve worked in the real world if you want to put it that way. Initially in South Africa. I was privileged to lead the team that produced South Africa’s White Paper on coastal sustainable development, which is the policy foundation for coastal management in South Africa, off to the end of apartheid. So, we designed a process that created opportunity for all South Africans, including Black South Africans who have not been part of these policy processes, to have a real voice in shaping the direction of this policy. It became the world’s first integrated coastal management act. That was an incredible privilege to lead that process and involve people across the country in developing that policy and to this day that remains the foundation for how coastal management is delivered in South Africa.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege to play a leadership role in a number of organizations over time. One of those is as co-chair of Future Earth Coasts, which previously had been LOICZ and I’d been vice chair of LOICZ when Alice Newton was the chair. When I was asked to take on the chair role, I was very keen to have a partner and introduced the idea of co-chairs, so there was one male and one female to lead, to be part of the 21st century and to share the load and to benefit from the diversity of wisdom and expertise and insight. I was thrilled that they all came and joined me as co-chair of Future Earth Coasts in about 2015 or 2016. We went through this incredibly challenging time of transition from a time when LOICZ had been very well funded over these long programs, first with the Netherlands and then in Germany to a period where funding was a lot more precarious or difficult and where we sought to build an organization with multiple universities and partners contributing to the development of what became known as Future Earth Coasts. And so that’s where we are now.

In addition to that, in the last assessment round of the IPCC, the sixth persistent round which is just recently completed. I was honored to play a lead role in two reports in the Ocean and Cryosphere report, the so-called special report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. I was coordinating lead author of the sea level rise chapter. Then in the working group II report, which focuses on adaptation, vulnerability and impact, I was lead author of the climate resilient development pathways chapter, the concluding chapter of the report, and also co-lead of the cross-chapter paper on cities and settlements by the sea. Detailed but those multiple roles were a tremendous opportunity to have voice in shaping the IPCC six assessment. And that has been the base to, open up a door, I was invited to be a lead author in a chapter of the IPBES Nexus report. IPBES is intergovernmental panel on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and the Nexus reported the interconnection of climate change, biodiversity, health, energy, water, and so on. I’m currently involved in that report. And then I mentioned earlier the UNESCO intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission guidance I’ve developed on community-based coastal hazard risk and resilience. So those have been tremendous privileges to be part of.

(2)  As a scientist, what do you think is the most enjoyable experience about your job?

Good question. I suppose in this day and age, what we mean by scientist is something that evolves, as a young student, a lot of the way in which universities were organized was based around very particular discipline. So, if you were an ecologist or a geophysicist, or an economist, there were particular areas within which you work. I was never comfortable being stuck in one disciplinary base. So, I’ve always been interested in working across boundaries rather than being stuck in a particular discipline and trying to connect science, policy and practice is another bridging endeavor. I’ve been both a practitioner and an academic. I think the work I do is really applied research and applied research informed practice and it’s transdisciplinary in reach. I’m also interested in the connection from the local to the global. I’m intensively working with local communities to provide support to navigate the challenges faced in a time of escalating coastal hazard risk. What do you do about this if you live at the coast, especially in a low line? If you’re a vulnerable community. There’s a lot you can do at the community level, but there are also things that are beyond the influence of communities that are shaped by the political economy and global forces and so influencing the global agenda and discourse is also important. I work across disciplines, across science policy and practice, from the local to the global level and in particular, trying to make a difference in helping people understand and address real problems, not just think about stuff that’s interesting but trying to provide ways forward through the difficult circumstances that many faced and I’m particularly committed to working in ways that are enabling and empowering for more vulnerable communities and to focus on processes that are just and equitable, and promote resilience and sustainability for people and the non-human animals that we share the planet with.

(3)  In your opinion, what are the key characteristics of a successful scientist or successful practitioner towards coastal sustainability?

To science, the answer to that will depend on the organization you’re working for and what its mission is and whether you’re effective in helping realize that mission. From my vantage point and the work that I do and what I’m interested in, I’m interested in finding solutions for addressing some of the major challenges that we face both at the local level and for humanity in the planet. And so, to be effective at that means you’ve got to understand ways of bridging disciplinary boundaries. You’ve got to understand ways to do bridge different knowledge. How does science connect with, relate to and marry with local knowledge and with indigenous knowledge? You’ve got to understand ways to bridge the gap between science, policy and practice. So, you know, to become effective in work at that coal phase, that interface between science, policy and practice, you need to understand how to work across those different boundaries, you’ve got to be able to work independently, alone, but also in teams of people from different cultural backgrounds, different language backgrounds, different knowledge backgrounds. The ability to collaborate and deal with different points of view and different perspectives is really important. But underpinning all of that, you’ve got to have passion and commitment perseverance to persist in the face of difficulty and dedication to do that. And at the end of the day, work well with other people, even people you don’t agree with. Well, you may not even like because they’re not easy to work with.

(4)  In your view, what are some of the most pressing conflicts or challenges that arise at the science-policy-practice interface in coastal management and how can they be effectively resolved?

Again, these are the big challenges that face humanity. You know, we live, we’ve crossed the threshold. We now live in a time where we live on a human dominated planet, where global warming is going has taken us into a dangerous climate condition. That is not something that humanity has had to live with in human history. It’s going to get worse. So very, very challenging time. It’s very easy to become despairing and lose hope because the threat is very real to people and to the planet. And it’s not evenly distributed. There are some people in some parts of the world that face much more critical risks than others, including low lying islands that are literally being inundated and will be gone in coming decades.

If we’re going to really make sense of the challenges, I think we have to overcome a number of failures. One is we’ve got to find new ways to reconcile the interest that we have in the short and the long term. This is about current and future generations. If we’re going to rob future generations of resources, of safety, and a prospect, and we are going to rob non-human species of a healthy planet, then we’re going to fulfill our short-term needs, but we’re going to destroy the planet and ourselves in the process. Finding a way to reconcile short and long-term needs is absolutely critical. A second aspect that crucial is we have to reconcile private interest and public interest. Our own personal interest is situated in the context of our species being a social species. We are a communal species. We depend on each other. Even though what’s happening in Ukraine right now? What’s happening in various geopolitical debates suggest somehow, we could exist independent of each other and that’s simply not true. How we learn to honor and respect each other and meet our private needs while reconciling those individual need with wider communal and societal needs is really important. The third element is the relationship between the local and the global. We are connected. We need to think globally, act locally, that old saying, but it’s very real because there are global conditions and circumstances largely centered in the political economy, the distribution of wealth and power. That makes local reality extraordinarily difficult for people who are poor and marginalized. So, we’ve got to find new ways of confronting poverty, injustice, inequity and so on. And that’s at the heart of recalibrating the way we connect the local and the global. And lastly the fourth point I’d make is that we’ve got to reconnect with the reality that we are dependent on a healthy planet. We depend on the well-being of nature. We’re not above nature, we’re part of nature and that’s an incredibly arrogant perspective that the West in particular has fostered in the last few hundred years that we’ve got to work around and that means we’ve got to confront greed and the insatiable appetite to consume and to destroy that compounds inequity and injustice, all of which is centered at the coast because people are concentrated along the seashores of the world. That’s where people want to be. That’s where incredible beauty, resource, assets are, and a lot of the coastal conflict is a product of those features and that we’ve got to confront. So, at the end of the day, the answer to your question might be a bit surprising, but it has to do with values and ethics, and we have to recalibrate the way we think about who we are and what we do.

(5)  Could you share a specific example of a coastal community or region where you witness this positive impact after your work or during your work at the science-policy-practice interface in building resilience and sustainability?

It would be fantastic if we could light up a global map of all the successful community-based endeavors because there wouldn’t be many lights. The trouble is that the cumulative effect of consumerism and materialism and excess has meant that globally we have unraveled the health of many of the ecosystems and life supports systems we depend on and so there are far more bad examples and disappointments and failures than there are examples that endure of good practice. But there are many, many communities doing good work, literally around the world.

The challenge is to sustain those good practices and for them to persist in the face of those wider processes that are driven by dependence on fossil fuels, the desire to consume and be individually wealthy at the expense of equity and justice. Though I don’t want to leave a note of despair, but I know and I’ve worked with communities in South Africa, in Brazil, in New Zealand and elsewhere where people are making a real difference and they are making progress. I have hope in young people, individuals like Greta Thunberg. These are individuals making a global difference. Thus, it requires us to work collaboratively and find ways to overcome the dark side of humanity.

So, the last example I would give you is the transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa. That’s a long time ago and there’s a lot that needs to be improved. There’s still deep poverty and inequity and greed and so on in South Africa. But the period after the end of the apartheid was a very, profoundly encouraging and positive space to be because people were really working hard together to reconstitute a place that will be a better place than where it had been. And so, the White Paper and the coastal policy and the subsequent act that we produced, it was an incredible privilege to work with so many people determined to make a real difference, who put the public ahead of the private, who focused on the long term over the short term, who were mindful of the importance of the coastal ecosystems and other species we share. And so for me that’s a really good example of a time when there was a very positive energy to work collaboratively, respecting difference and finding ways to move forward.

(6)  Given your experience, which role do you see Future Earth Coasts playing in addressing the governance and sustainability challenges faced by coastal communities globally?

I’ve always thought that Future Earth Coast has got or has had and has, and can even build a stronger role and influence in bringing people together and in this context, it’s bringing people together who are seeking to better understand our coastal systems and ways to better manage these ecosystems and these systems that we depend on and that we enjoy so much. So, we’ve done a brilliant job at bringing coastal scientists together and the recent work done to bring young researchers across regions together is fantastic because it’s only by bringing together people from different backgrounds, different points of view, different knowledge, then we can begin to think through and address the challenges of the Anthropocene. What lies ahead? I think that what we can do even better is to connect more strongly, coastal science, coastal research and practice. I think that there’s quite a lot of work that we can do to strengthen Future Earth Coasts at a regional scale so that we have regionally strong activities that network researchers and policy makers and practitioners, and local community together. So that’s for me that’s the most powerful role that Future Earth Coasts can play, and a particular focus on creative ways to communicate and get that message out about the importance of a just and sustainable future for the coasts.

(7)  If you were not a scientist and not a practitioner, what other profession would you have chosen?

I’ve had the privilege of working in the university context as an academic, but I’ve also been a government official working in the ministry for the environment in South Africa focused on the coast in a regulatory role of lawmaking and decision-making role. I’ve also run a consulting organization where we worked in post-apartheid South Africa in the public realm providing advice and support in the public arena typically in processes like that coastal policy that I mentioned.

Now, I’m in the role, primarily as a social scientist doing critical social science work and like critical social science, I mean my interests are not just at the superficial level of what is going on in society. I’m interested in what are the root causes and drivers of unsustainable, in just and inequitable processes and to address the structural causes of those problems. So that informs how to bridge science, policy and practice, the local and global. Really that’s my interest and I’ve been able to do that work in government to a limited degree, in private consulting to a limited degree, and in academia to a limited degree.

Each of those different domains has positive and negative about the impact that you can have. But in government, you actually make real decisions. You have to put up bureaucracy and all sorts of constraint. In private consulting, you provide advice but you never make the decision and you never have time to think about or to learn and to refresh your stuff. You’re just chasing one project after the other and in academia you have the privilege of time to focus on something and again, you’re not making decisions.

So, in terms of profession, I think you need to find yourself in many different places to understand what works best for you. I love what I do now as an academic because I’m working with local communities in a very applied, action research.

(8)  We also would like to know more about your interests outside of your work, like what would you do in your spare time?

As many academics that have been around for a while, there is no such thing as spare time. My work consumes my life. So, I spend most of my time working, which is, on one level, sad, but it’s also very positive because I love what I do. It’s making a difference. But when I do stop working. I like to be in the outdoor which I don’t do enough of, but I love to be in the mountains and at the coasts, hiking, sailing and anything in the outdoors. And yeah, I also enjoy photography and doing landscape photography and wildlife photography, Music, guitar, family, friends, those are the things that I enjoy and travelling to places that are, you know the planet is a place of incredible grandeur and beauty. And so, travelling to those places is something important to me too.

(9)  What advice would you give to young scientists starting their careers?

I think choosing a direction of study should be a choice informed by where your heart wants you to be. As hard as that might seem, it’s very tempting and often parents are very influential to choose a job, career, or an educational pathway because of job prospects. That is typically not necessarily the wisest decision anymore.

What is more important, I think, is to choose an educational foundation that enables you to be a critical independent thinker. If you choose the very technical course of study, it gives you a bunch of technical skills but it doesn’t necessarily enable you to be independently critical in your thinking. If you want to make a difference in this world, technical rational solution and ways of thinking are simply not adequate. We need out of the box, creative, innovative thinking. That comes with critical social sciences and interdisciplinary ways of thinking.

So, my advice to young people starting their careers, choose an education pathway that’s gonna enable you to think critically and then invest in your education. You know. It’s very tempting to want to start to earn a salary when it may be better to invest further in your education. That is the most wise investment you can make. Beyond that, be open to outcomes that you may not expect to deliver the best way forward. In other words, working for government may not be something that you think is a good idea, but until you’ve done that, until you’ve worked in the private sector, until you’ve worked in a university setting, how do you know what is the best pathway? So, I think you need to experience the world, travel, invest in your education, follow your heart.

(10) You are a FEC academician, what kind of support and resources you are willing to offer to help FEC fellows? How would you encourage them?

I think you’re creating the opportunities for webinars and for interactions, may be training opportunities, interactive opportunities and I’m keen to contribute through the forum that you create for those kinds of opportunities. I’ve mentioned, you know, earlier conversation we’re speaking about the ‘just transitions’ work in the webinar series. I’m in to share some reflection, particularly centered in the UNESCO work that I’ve shared with you earlier. And I think creating a space for that kind of dialogue is probably the most practical and constructive way of contributing.

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Primary-productivity in Upwelling Systems

The ESA-supported Primary-productivity in Upwelling Systems (PRIMUS) project aims to characterise net primary productivity (NPP) and its relationship to upwelling in Atlantic Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS), including the Iberian/Canary and Benguela systems. It will create a 25-year time series of 1-km satellite-derived NPP over the Atlantic, and, experimentally, at higher-resolution (300m) using the unique capabilities of the MERIS and OLCI satellite sensors.

PRIMUS will use these data to advance analyses of Atlantic EBUS including temporal and spatial variability in NPP and its statistical relationship to upwelling and climate indices (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation). PRIMUS will also conduct eight further science cases in specific science areas / regional settings: aquaculture in Galicia; fisheries and eutrophication in the Portuguese upwelling region; potential EBUS impacts on ocean carbon pools; Lagrangian estimates of NPP; and air-sea interaction and acidification impacts. Science cases will make use of EO and in situ data, as well as numerical model outputs (freely available through the EU’s Copernicus and elsewhere) to investigate the 4D character of EBUS, for example linking Lagrangian NPP with sediment traps samples at depth.

PRIMUS will also conduct demonstrations that transfer science into solutions for society, working together with scientific, agency, policy and commercial “early-adopters”, building on three science case studies (EBUS and aquaculture; fisheries; and eutrophication monitoring). Furthermore, evaluating transition of data production to operational initiatives such as Copernicus and GMES and Africa and the potential for data exploitation by the European and international ecosystem modelling community.

Click here to read more

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Sebastian’s work addresses the link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in coral reefs as well as human usage of coral reef resources. Sebastian was FEC Executive Director at ZMT in Bremen, Germany, until January 2022. Using an approach that combines assessments of both taxonomic and functional diversity in reef systems, he aims for a better understanding of the impacts of both natural and anthropogenic changes in coral reefs. In examining coastal livelihoods, institutions and mariculture techniques, he is trying to gather insights into options for sustainable resources uses and into strategies for the development, implementation and improvement of these uses.

(1) What is the career achievement of which you are most proud of? Then how has it contributed to your field of coastal sciences?

Many scientific careers are built of small, incremental steps so I didn’t have this one breakthrough moment or anything. But one particular thing that I’m particularly proud of because it’s sort of marked a step change in my career was when I established my first working group and that was based on a third-party funding that I was able to apply for. And that was successful in that application. And it brought together researchers, PhD students, other students from different disciplines. So, it was an interdisciplinary working group. And that is something that I am proud of. And I think it’s increasingly important in not only coastal science, but particularly in coastal science because it’s an area where so many different things converge. Coasts are zones of conversion between land and sea, but also between humans and nature. So to look at issues at the coast interdisciplinarily or even transdisciplinary across different fields. And so that’s what we were able to do in this working group that I established. And my institute was the first real interdisciplinary working group. Within one group, we had PhD students that were affiliated with different faculty, social science, natural science. And so that was new. Has it contributed to my field of coastal sciences in the bigger picture? Like, I don’t think it made a big dent in the global picture of things, but I think with regards to how science is done, and also in the way that science is organized, that’s my particularly institute. This was a step forward. And I think it did make an influence on the careers of the people that were involved in this group.

(2) What do you enjoy most about being a scientist? And what really motivates you to continue your work?

My particular expertise is on tropical coastlines. I work on coral reef systems, and I say systems, because I don’t just look at the ecological component, but I also look at the social or the human components of the system. So integrates social ecological system. And again, to me, coastal systems, in particular, in coral reefs are a good example of that are really diverse. They bring together a lot of diversity in the natural system, biodiversity. Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse systems on the planet, but also a big diversity of human relations, methodologies, and so on, and also a plethora of anthropogenic impacts. And so the challenges, the stakes are really high. And I think that goes for coastal systems. In general, they are focal areas for human activity and for environmental change and societal change that’s happening. And so that to me is really fascinating, their microcosm and the prism of issues that we’re currently seeing in many different systems around the world. And this is really focused and highlighted on coral reefs. And I particularly enjoy this diversity. Every day or every new scientific question that you come up with is different from the previous one. It’s a very diverse field where you can combine different questions and different methodological approaches. It’s always exciting and I particularly enjoy working with people in the field, so whether that’s colleagues in different parts of the world, or with local coastal communities that I encountered during my work.

(3) What do you think is the most exciting, recent, scientific advances in the field of coral reef research or others topics you are interested in? how these advances really contribute to the sustainable and resilient future of coastal areas?

For coral reefs, it is probably well known, coral reefs are sort of at the spearhead of ecosystems that are changing because of anthropogenic climate change. They’re really one of the most vulnerable systems. And actually, it’s been estimated that they’re the first ecosystem that we may lose on a global scale because of anthropogenic climate change. But what that really implies or means or what is coming sort of after that what the future of coral reefs looks like for a long, long-time sort of late in the dark. What are these systems transforming into? How are they functioning in the future? How are they going to be composed? And what is the sort of resilience also that these systems have? What’s the scope for them to continue functioning in some way to provide similar ecosystem services to humanity in the future? And for a long time that was guesswork, and I think, again, there is no one single epiphany or one single advance that I would highlight. But just looking at how my field has developed over the last 5 years or so, there were several exciting studies that started to look at and show in real time how these systems are changing, what the new composition will look like and also showing some signs of hope that corals actually (and it’s fascinating) are actually much more adaptive as some of them at least than was previously thought. Is that going to be sufficient to ensure future coral reefs as we know them? Probably not, but some species are much more adaptive and can evolve due to a combination of factors, much more rapidly than we had thought previously. So it’s exciting and provides insights for systems other than coral reefs as well.

(4) Based on your experience and observations, what are the key characteristics of a successful scientist in coastal sciences? And how can younger generation of scientists really develop these kinds of qualities?

So there are a couple of things that I think are important. And it’s maybe not just restricted to coastal sciences, but applies in general, but something that’s also specific about coasts. Because their diverse systems and at the interface of society and science and nature and humans, thinking, gearing, being curious as to me, the most important basic condition, and starting with a basic curiosity, and not giving up on that curiosity, but fostering it further and not giving up if there is setbacks in your career, or if you’re not able to make that one advance or career step not giving up and sticking to it, I think, is important, but also having this sort of interdisciplinary outlook and even engaging also beyond the science. So what we’re increasingly seeing is that science or academia is called upon more so than in the past to contribute to societal, solving societal issues and problems. We are seeing more and more of a call for science to engage better with policy making and with society. And this means that we also need to foster skills like co-design, transdisciplinarity, and interfacing with policy contributing to policy. And that calls for skillset sin the past wasn’t necessarily part of the classical academic career and also are not necessarily fostered or weren’t fostered so much in academia or taught in university. And it’s an exciting time for young academics, but it’s also challenging, because you need skillsets that are not necessarily taught in university, but that require networking cooperation with other like-minded people and mentorship. So to seek for those sort of networks such as what Future Earth Coasts can provide, I think it’s important in being a successful young coastal scientist.

(5) If you were not a scientist, then what are the job or profession do you think you would have pursued?

There are two things. The first one which brought me to science in the first place is that I was interested in being a journalist, actually, so a nature journalist or a science journalist. Because of that interest is why I started studying marine sciences to begin with, because some advice that I received early on before starting to study was don’t study journalism if you want to be such a journalist, but study something else. be good in that field. And then you have a characteristic that’s unique like a unique selling point. So that’s why I started to study marine sciences. And I almost after my PhD then took another turn to actually focus on journalism. And for many reasons, I stuck with being a scientist. I don’t really regret it, but I have a lot of respects or interests also in journalists. And I try to work as much with journalists as possible. And the other thing is the diver or dive instructor and also (I was) almost there because of course I do a lot of diving or used to do a lot of diving for my job but I think it’s quite a different profession working with tourists and in the tourism industry. In the end I’m quite happy with the choice that I made.

(6) Apart from your work, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time? And how does it help you to maintain a balance between your personal and professional life?

A couple of things that I’d like to do. So sports like go running frequently. I try to do that as often as possible. And it just helps me to focus and get energized. So just running in the park here and you know enjoying quiet time to myself to think and to focus. Yeah, and to get my mind sort of free is really important. I enjoy cooking a lot, so whenever I have time, because it helps to feed the family, but it also gets my mind of things. And I really enjoy that, also cooking for friends. So that’s another thing that I do. And I love spending time with my family. So particularly our kids, so that really helps me stay focused and stay sane and find a balance with my professional life and enjoy being with a young kid.

(7) As Future Earth Coasts faces new challenges and opportunities，I think you’re actually at the best position to apply to this question. What do you consider to be the biggest challenges or opportunities for the initiative today? And how can coastal science community address them effectively?

So this goes a little bit back to the science in society nexus that I mentioned before. I think increasingly, society is looking to science, to supply answer, to this multitude of pressing issues that we have seen at the moment. Kind of it’s ironic that, on the one hand, we see increasing skepticism in society towards science and that’s maybe because there are increasingly hard truths to be faced. And it’s becoming increasingly difficult to deny the reality of anthropogenic climate change that we’re living in. And (it’s) people are increasingly maybe subconsciously realizing that they have to change dramatically. And that’s scary. And so people tend to turn away. It’s a sort of a thing of shooting the messenger I guess. It’s an uncomfortable truth. And so you rather try pointing the finger and saying that there is a vested interest in scientists then to face the reality that maybe science isn’t so wrong about some of these things and has things to tell the society. So re-establishing this or establishing this compact between science and society and finding new ways how we do science together with and for societies?

Engaging societal members in a new interest in academia and understanding of that science is complex doesn’t necessarily provide simple or easy answers. But the things are complex. And that doesn’t mean that there can be a solution, but there are no easy answers. And yeah, that’s part of the process. And just because there is disagreement in science, doesn’t mean that science isn’t clear. For example, if we think of climate change. It’s not that there isn’t a consensus in the scientific community. It’s just about nuances. And there is debate. And that’s part of how science works. So engaging in society better and supporting societal transformation, and you know developing some sort of a positive futurism, like what could be desirable future (is)? How can this be informed by science? And how can society be supported by science to make these sorts of transitions? And also how to sort of decolonize the academy and overcome this sort of traditional academic centers that were in modern Europe or in northern America? But to move away from the sort of the north to the south divide and foster more partnership and more initiatives, south-south partnerships and having a truly global coastal science. And I think for all of these things, a better compact with society, supporting transformation, informing policy and academic networking. This is where I think Future Earth Coasts is very well suited to make a contribution.

Well, I’ve now worked with FEC for a couple of years, but (I’m really a in a way) I’m also a newcomer. LOICZ has been around for quite a long time. I really only have worked with Future Earth Coasts and this amazing community for like the past 5 years or so in more detail. And I think it’s contagious to see the energy there and to identify with the goals because there are relevantly important goals that Future Earth Coasts has.

(8) What kind of advice would you have for young scientists in the FEC network really to inspire them to pursue a career in coastal sciences? And you just mentioned some qualities, and do you also have some strategies that you would like (to) recommend them to succeed despite challenges and difficulties?

Yeah, I think it’s important to be very clear that an academic career is very challenging. And it’s a difficult environment that’s characterized by a lot of uncertainty and power issues and so on. So it’s not the easiest workplace. But at the same time, it’s one of the most exciting careers that you could take, because you can really pursue your interests. You can be, to a certain extent, be independent and what you do shape your own career. You’re essentially your own employer to a certain extent. Yeah. So you are the master of your own destiny for better or worse. I think it’s important to realize what are the benefits of that, but also not to be overly idealistic about the challenges that are involved. It really takes a toll on personal life, for example. And to some extent, you’re also dependent on the decisions that are beyond your immediate control, like, where are you going to spend your life? Or do you have to move and so on. So really being realistic about your work-life balance. How far are you willing to go? Don’t compromise, necessarily. You also don’t forget. You have a personal, private life that’s just as important, particularly to withstand the pressures of academia not to burn out, I think it’s really important to find that sort of safe place for yourself, whatever that is and to find that balance. And then let curiosity drive you. So I think that’s the key thing that we have. A scientist is the sort of curiosity that’s driving us forward and to pursue our sincere interests and not giving up on that.And there are of course a few strategies that one could use to support this, like finding good mentors, also looking around that you know what is the best opportunity for you, not only where you work as a scientist, where you contribute, but also particularly early in the training like for PhD position, don’t compromise too much, but really see where there (is) are the best opportunities for you. What brings you forward? What offers you the best training? You are also a resource and have something to offer and don’t forget that. But at the same time, where is a place that you could as a person of being with friends and family and whatever under your carrying in a positive way. Where does that fit? So to find this balance, but also to think strategically and find allies that accompany you along the way. I think it’s very important.

(9) As a FEC academician, so what kind of support and resources are you willing to offer to help FEC fellows? And how can they access and benefit from your expertise and experience?

Well, I think most scientists that are at a more advanced level (they) have to balance two things, right? So on the one hand, you got an increasing demand on your time with choices and duties and so on that (makes) make it more and more difficult to spare time. But at the same time, you have more experience to share. And I think all of us and most of us are really willing and burning to pass on that sort of experience and knowledge and insights and so on. So yeah, I think that as with most senior scientists or academics reach out to me or to us. See where we can find time or opportunities to work together and the sort of you know mentoring or passing on advice. Even you know sometimes it doesn’t have to be very extensive, but it can already be helpful just you know to share thoughts, or a get a reflection on an idea that you have or a career step that you’re considering or choices that you have to make what you should go for, or to establish, to develop the research ideas further. And all of these things from very small to something that’s more extensive and could be a more formal way of collaborating and working together. Usually academics like myself are very open to that, so just reach out to us and we see what’s possible and how we can best help. That’s my offer.

Sometimes it’s difficult not to get jaded, but it’s also important you know to stay positive and to find sources of strength and to be able to pass that on and to reassure each other. It’s something that’s unique about science, I think, is that the link between private life and professional life is fluid, more probably more so than many other professions. It’s difficult to divide this. That’s why it’s important to find yourself a safe space like what remains private and personal, but also to use the positivity that can come from you know doing something that you personally and privately also enjoy doing and that you burn for and brings that positive energy into a good job. And I think that’s important to make the best of this merger, but also to be mindful that your professional life doesn’t overwhelm you as a private person. I think that’s important to find this balance.

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FEC co-executive directors Prof. Anja Scheffers and Dr. Xiaoyu Fang and former FEC executive director Dr. Sebastian Ferse were invited as speakers to share their expertise as speakers in different sessions, addressing critical environmental challenges and proposing collaborative approaches for sustainable development.

In the session titled “Developing a ‘Meta Network (Network of Networks)’ Framework for Collaboration among Programs on Oceans, Seas and Coasts under Future Earth, a “network of networks” approach was proposed by SIMSEA (Sustainability Initiative in the Marginal Seas of South and East Asia) to enhance research, innovation, and training efforts by fostering closer interaction and strategic planning among existing programs. The objective of this proposed framework is to facilitate sustainability initiatives and generate a holistic understanding of complex adaptive systems represented by oceans and coasts.

Heads of relevant initiatives and Future Earth programs were invited to share their perspectives, and explore viable sources of funds and resources to sustain the initiative. Dr. Xiaoyu Fang presented ongoing efforts at Future Earth Coasts towards coastal sustainability and shared insights on establishing a collaborative framework for ongoing work related to oceans, marginal seas, and coasts within the Future Earth network. All the panelists agreed on the need to harness the information and knowledge generated by member networks through collaboration and strategic coordination. In the end, the participants reached an agreement that FEC will co-lead the development of the Meta-network framework in collaboration with SIMSEA, further advancing the proposed objectives of the Meta-network and fostering cooperation.

Meanwhile, in another session titled “ENVISION: Reconciling and envisioning future pathways for adaptive governance in small coral reef-island systems,” speakers highlighted the unique ecological and geographical features of island localities which are intricately connected to the local culture, practices, and way of life. Prof. Anja Scheffers drew attention to the urgent need for adaptive governance in small islands facing increasing threats and shared her experience in stakeholder engagement. The sustainability of these islands’ resources and their ability to support human life and livelihoods are threatened by the extent of local and global changes. Understanding the direct and indirect links between communities and resources is crucial. The session also emphasized the risks faced by marine and freshwater resources due to pollution and degradation caused by sediment and nutrient run-off, excessive fertilizer use, and other anthropogenic activities. It is essential to develop multi-resource governance strategies that consider local practices, needs, and culture to bridge the gap between development and conservation.

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CiteScore™ 2022 and 2022 Journal Impact Factor of Anthropocene Coasts

We are delighted to announce that Anthropocene Coasts (EISSN 2561-4150) received the first Journal Impact Factor (JIF) of 2.4, according to Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports™ dataset updated on Jun 28, 2023. The 2022 Journal Impact Factor Without Self Citations of Anthropocene Coasts is also 2.4.

The 2022 Journal Impact Factor and the Journal Impact Factor Without Self Citations of Anthropocene Coasts

In early June, the 2022 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus, the most comprehensive bibliographic database of scientific literature. Anthropocene Coasts (EISSN 2561-4150) has a CiteScore 2022 of 4.9 and is ranked in the Top 23% of international journals in “Environmental Science – Nature and Landscape Conservation”. According to the CiteScore™ rank 2022, Anthropocene Coasts has entered the Q1 zone of journals.

Every bit of progress of the journal can’t be achieved without the support of our research scientists! We would like to congratulate and thank our Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, Authors, Reviewers and Readers of Anthropocene Coasts for their outstanding contributions! Anthropocene Coasts will continue to collaborate with all of you to foster world-class journals and promote international research collaboration!

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Professor Chen Xuechu from East China Normal University presented a case study on Chinese coastal wetland restoration and carbon sequestration. His findings revealed that restored wetlands act as larger carbon sinks compared to natural marshes. This restoration not only helps combat climate change but also provides vital habitats for diverse wildlife. Dr. James Sippo, a Research Fellow at Southern Cross University, discussed the Australian Blue Carbon Method, which offers carbon credits for coastal wetland restoration. He explained the carbon cycling in mangrove ecosystems and highlighted the potential for using blue carbon sequestration as a natural mitigation strategy for climate change. After the presentations, a Q & A session allowed the audience to engage with the speakers and further explore the topics discussed.

The webinar was organized as part of the Turning the Tide: systems thinking for a sustainable ocean project, which is endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Activity. Future Earth Coasts and the Institution of Environmental Sciences aimed to raise awareness about the significance of coastal wetland restoration and its role in achieving a sustainable ocean ecosystem.

The joint webinar served as an informative platform, emphasizing the need for concerted efforts in coastal wetland restoration to combat climate change and safeguard biodiversity. The insights shared by Prof. Chen Xuechu and Dr. James Sippo shed light on the importance of restoring and protecting these vital ecosystems for a sustainable future.

The post FEC and IES Collaborate to Promote Coastal Wetland Restoration: Insights from China and Australia Shared in Webinar appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

Impact, Mechanism, Monitoring of Land Subsidence in Coastal Cities (IM2LSC)

Land subsidence, as a global geohazard, not only reduces the flood control capacity in urban areas, but also brings security risk and damage to buildings, roads, bridges, rail transits, flood control walls, underground lines, etc. The impact of land subsidence is especially obvious in coastal cities and proximity to shorelines, such as Shanghai and Jakarta, etc., for their low elevation. It’s important and urgent to carry out measures for the prevention and control of land subsidence.

In this project, we propose a scientific cooperative program between institutions and researchers to develop better understanding of land subsidence at international level, especially the less developed countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. IM2LSC plans to research the impacts of human activities and sea-level rise, hydro-mechanism and monitoring methods of land subsidence in coastal cities.

The project results will be transferred to sites in other developing countries, and recommendations will be released to play an effective role in the planning, construction, management and security assurance for different coastal cities.

Click here to read more

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