Launched in 2023 by Future Earth Coasts in collaboration with the University of South Carolina and Sciences for Sustainable Earth, the ‘Tour de Coasts’ set out to capture global perspectives on coastal sustainability. The goals of the ‘Tour de Coasts’ were to form a knowledge exchange about priority coastal sustainability concerns and to create a comprehensive understanding of coastal sustainability challenges and opportunities from a global perspective.

At the SRI 2025, the team introduced cornerstone achievement results: A global survey conducted in 2024 received over 200 responses from more than 70 countries. The survey illuminated a wide range of definitions of sustainability, barriers, contributions, and priorities in achieving coastal sustainability. The results also elevated promising local strategies and success stories from the frontlines of coastal action. The data highlighted the importance of both global collaboration and local leadership.

Dr. Xiaoyu Fang of Future Earth Coasts opened the session and set the stage by outlining the vision and evolution of ‘Tour de Coasts.’ Dr. Katya Altman presented the survey results, emphasizing both the common challenges and the locally developed, community-led innovations. “Connect with the FEC network, share your work and regional stories,” Altman emphasized continuous engagement, “let’s co-create a resilient future together!”

Two powerful case studies followed. Dr. Dwayne E. Porter shared insights from the EJ Strong initiative in South Carolina, which strengthens disaster risk reduction and recovery through community capacity building and environmental justice. Dr. Heath Kelsey spotlighted work in New Caledonia and Fiji, where participatory governance and co-design approaches are helping communities define their own priorities for sustainability and resilience.

The formal part of the session concluded with a presentation by Dr. Anja Scheffers, who outlined the way forward in achieving coastal sustainability, including investment in governance and leadership, mobilizing funding, advancing transdisciplinary research, empowering communities and youth, scaling up successful solutions, and fostering collaboration and accountability.

The session continued with a lively discussion and engaging Question and Answer time that once again emphasized the importance of the community taking ownership and outlining priorities in addressing sustainability concerns. What set this session apart was its commitment to equity and collaboration. The panel underscored the importance of integrating local and Indigenous knowledge, fostering co-designed decision-making, and prioritizing community-led solutions. Participants left the room not only with new data and case examples, but also with actionable strategies to replicate, scale, and adapt across coastal contexts globally.

The ‘Tour de Coasts’ session aligned closely with the SRI 2025 themes of One Health and Collaborative Decision-Making. By bridging science, policy, and lived experience, it sparked powerful conversations and forged new connections. As coastal communities confront rising challenges and shifting conditions, the message from SRI 2025 is clear: Sustainable futures are not only possible but they are also already being imagined and built by communities around the world.

Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to engage by visiting https://www.futureearthcoasts.org/tour-de-coasts/ and following us on LinkedIn at Future Earth Coasts.

The post Tour de Coasts Advances Global Coastal Sustainability at SRI 2025 appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

TALK

• What if we can predict phytoplankton blooms two months in advance?

• Dr. Hakase Hayashida, the Application Laboratory of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) in Yokohama, Japan

In this seminar, a short-range ocean prediction system known as the Japan Coastal Ocean Predictability Experiment (JCOPE) and its ongoing development to incorporate marine biogeochemistry will be presented. JCOPE has been providing routine two-month ocean weather forecasts around Japan since 2001. It does so by combining a numerical ocean model with satellite and autonomous float observations to generate a realistic present condition of the ocean and simulating possible future conditions that are driven by atmospheric weather forecasts. Both the best state estimate of the past (reanalysis) and the prediction of ocean temperature, salinity, current, and sea surface height can be made freely available for non-profit and scientific research purposes. Currently, the possibility of incorporating ocean biogeochemistry into JCOPE is explored. This integration is expected to enhance JCOPE’s capability by providing information relevant to ocean ecosystem health, such as nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton biomass, dissolved oxygen levels, and pH. While this development is still in its infancy, its potential application for scientific research and sustainability initiatives will be discussed during the seminar. It’s also noted that JCOPE has a configuration that is beyond the northwest Pacific, and therefore, may also be of great interest to students and early career researchers in Asia and Oceania.

Our Speaker

Dr Hakase Hayashida

Hakase Hayashida is a Researcher at the Application Laboratory of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) in Yokohama, Japan. He is broadly interested in understanding the role of phytoplankton in marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems. Hakase was born and raised in Nagasaki, the home of great seafood. At the age of 15, he moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, for studying English during high school where he gained much interest in marine environmental issues. After high school, he moved further east to Newfoundland to pursue BSc in Environmental Physics and MSc in Physical Oceanography at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He figured it was time to move a bit closer back to Japan, so decided to pursue PhD in Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, Canada. He then moved down under to take on a postdoc position at the University of Tasmania, Australia. In 2022, he moved back to Japan after spending nearly two decades overseas and joined JAMSTEC with an ambition to develop a short-range prediction model for phytoplankton blooms in the northwest Pacific and beyond that can be used for fisheries and aquaculture management. He enjoys travelling and camping with his family.

Registration

The event is free to attend and open to all. It will take place at 03:00 AM to 04:00 AM UTC on May 13^th.

Click here to register:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/DwmptIA/Registration

Or scan the QR code below to register:

This seminar series is part of the Future Earth-funded cross-cutting initiative “Meta-Network” – a collaborative platform connecting science, policy, and practice to advance coastal and marine sustainability. We welcome new partners from academia, NGOs, government, and industry to join us in co-creating inclusive, science-driven solutions. Get involved by contacting fecchina@ecnu.edu.cn.

Learn more about the Meta-Network at https://www.futureearthcoasts.org/meta-network-leads-the-way-in-pioneering-coastal-sustainability-a-pivotal-step-towards-a-resilient-future/

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Future Earth Coasts invites researchers, policymakers, and sustainability leaders to attend a pivotal panel discussion at the 2025 Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress (SRI 2025). Marking its fifth anniversary—and its inaugural U.S. convening—SRI 2025 will take place in Chicago, Illinois, from June 16–19, 2025, fostering action-oriented and inclusive sustainability solutions.

Event Details:

📅 Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 3:00–4:00 PM (Central Time Zone)

📍 Location: Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, SRI 2025, Chicago, Illinois (Hybrid)

🌊 Session Title: Tour de Coasts: Insights from the Global Coastal Sustainability Survey

Coastal regions worldwide confront escalating threats, including sea-level rise, ecosystem degradation, governance disparities, and socioeconomic inequities. Launched in 2024 by Future Earth Coasts and the University of South Carolina, the Tour de Coasts initiative examines these challenges through a comprehensive, global lens. Drawing on insights from over 200 experts across 79 countries, this session will present key findings from the Global Coastal Sustainability Survey and spotlight community-driven resilience strategies.

Why Attend?

• Gain a global perspective on pressing coastal sustainability issues.
• Explore integrated solutions combining local knowledge, scientific research, and policy innovation.
• Engage in interactive dialogue with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers shaping coastal futures.

This session seeks to chart a collaborative path toward equitable, resilient, and sustainable coasts—bridging science, policy, and grassroots action. Participants will contribute to a forward-looking vision, identifying scalable models for transformative change.

Be part of the conversation. Together, we can redefine the future of our coasts. Learn more about Tour de Coasts at https://www.futureearthcoasts.org/tour-de-coasts/.

Access the Report

The full Tour de Coasts final report is now available for download. Click here to read the report and explore its findings in detail.

The post Join the “Tour de Coasts” Panel Discussion at SRI 2025: Advancing Global Coastal Sustainability appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

Coastal wetlands, often referred to as “forest bridges” between land and ocean, serve as the first line of defense for coastal ecological protection. They effectively buffer the negative impacts of environmental changes on coastal zones and enhance the overall self-recovery ability and resilience of coastal ecosystems. Over the past 30 years, global coastal wetlands have lost approximately 16% of their area, facing significant environmental and ecological challenges due to wetland degradation. The evolution of coastal wetlands in response to changing environmental conditions is highly complex and requires multidisciplinary collaboration.

The BUFFERS project is part of the China-New Zealand intergovernmental scientific research collaboration, jointly funded by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The project is being jointly conducted by Hohai University, East China Normal University, and the University of Auckland. BUFFERS focuses on typical coastal wetlands in China and New Zealand, conducting interdisciplinary research in coastal dynamic geomorphology, ecology, and related fields.

The Sino-New Zealand project team will concentrate on the salt marshes and mangrove wetlands in both countries, carrying out the following tasks: comprehensively using drones, water-sediment, and biological observation equipment to develop high-precision tidal flat key parameter inversion technology; integrating field and flume experiments to analyze the coupling mechanisms of sediment physical processes and biological processes under varying wave-flow dynamics, biological compositions, and sediment gradations; applying machine learning algorithms to quantify the mathematical relationships between parameters, optimize biomorphodynamic models, and predict the evolution trends of different coastal wetlands; and developing point-line-surface restoration models to improve the ecological structure of coastal wetlands, enhance self-recovery capacity, and establish a coastal ecological soft protection system. The ultimate goal of the project is to enhance the resilience of coastal zones in both countries and support wetland management decision-making in China and New Zealand.

Main contacts:

Prof. Zeng Zhou, Hohai University, zeng.zhou@hhu.edu.cn

Prof. Karin Bryan, The University of Auckland, karin.bryan@auckland.ac.nz

2. Evolution and Sustainable Development of the Human-Sea Coupled Coastal Wetland System under Global Change (ECOSYNC)

Coastal wetlands are among the most important human-sea composite systems for achieving sustainable development in coastal zones. They are also ecologically fragile areas of global concern under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of global change. However, coastal wetland degradation is severe in China and several other developing countries in Asia. The future trajectory of coordinated development between the coastal ecological environment and socio-economic progress remains unclear, highlighting an urgent need for interdisciplinary international cooperation and joint research.

The ECOSYNC project is a collaborative project jointly conducted by several research institutions, including Hohai University (China), the University of Auckland (New Zealand), Beijing Forestry University, the University of Southampton (UK), Macquarie University (Australia), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK), and the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force. This project is co-funded by the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and aims to contribute to the achievement of several SDGs related to coastal wetlands.

ECOSYNC focuses on four typical coastal wetlands along the East Asia–Australasia Flyway, with two observation sites in China and Myanmar and two comparison sites in Australia and New Zealand. This study will integrate interdisciplinary research across Environmental Earth Science, Marine Science, Ecology, Economics, and Management Science.

By combing multiple techniques, e.g., field observation, remote sensing and numerical modeling, this study aims to analyze the coupling relationship between the biogeochemical processes of coastal wetlands and socio-economic development, identify the main driving forces behind coastal wetland environmental change, establish a coastal wetland evolution model and digital twin system framework based on the coupling model of human-sea composite system, and predict future trends of coastal environmental and ecosystem changes under global change stress. Additionally, the project will propose policy recommendations to support the coordinated development of regional economies, societies, and ecosystems in coastal areas. ECOSYNC is expected to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and international cooperation in coastal wetland research while providing scientific decision-making support for the sustainable development of coastal areas in China and other developing countries in Asia.

Main contacts:

Prof. Zeng Zhou, Hohai University, zeng.zhou@hhu.edu.cn

Prof. Giovanni Coco, The University of Auckland, g.coco@auckland.ac.nz

The post FEC Recruits New Affiliated Projects: BUFFERS and ECOSYNC appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

The forum takes place from 11:00 – 12:30 GMT on Friday 1st November. All with an interest are welcome and joining details are here:

Join Zoom Meeting: https://port-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/88285425877?pwd=hZVI5byfzmNm3uY7WlTnBVgeR0Nu3B.1

ID: 88285425877,

passcode: 845591

The post Online Forum on Coastal Governance in the Global South appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

Future Earth Coasts (FEC) invites all network members and the wider community to help shape the future of our coasts by participating in the Tour de Coasts survey, open until mid-September. Your input is vital as we work to develop a comprehensive understanding of global coastal sustainability issues.

This initiative aims to enhance knowledge exchange across FEC’s global network of researchers, practitioners, and communities. While our diverse partners offer valuable insights into coastal sustainability, much of this knowledge remains untapped. By leveraging these perspectives, we seek to deepen our global understanding of coastal sustainability challenges and opportunities.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this important conversation. Share your thoughts through the Tour de Coasts survey here: bit.ly/tour-de-coasts. After the survey closes and the analysis is complete, stay tuned for more engagements, including virtual meetings, where we will reflect on the results and work together to create a synthesis of our findings.

Thank you for your participation and for helping shape the future of our coasts!

News item links:

– Future Earth Coasts – Tour de Coasts – Future Earth Coasts

– FEC Session at SRI 2024 – Tour de Coasts – Future Earth Coasts

The post Survey Closing Soon: Last Chance to Share Your Insights on Coastal Sustainability! appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

The social, economic, and environmental costs of natural disasters is rapidly rising; and while everyone has a role in responding to hazards, local citizens are provided with limited practical support to truly build their resilience. This project will redress the current lack of pragmatic strategies to help coastal communities prepare for, and respond to, climate hazards. By exploring how at-risk Australian coastal communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from coastal climate hazards within the context of broader socio-ecological change, this project will address critical knowledge gaps to better understand what enables or constrains civil society action, and provide policy direction for interventions to build community resilience effectively and efficiently.

The aim is to build civil society’s climate resilience by investigating how individuals, families and neighborhoods respond to coastal climate hazards with the goal of harnessing and building their adaptive capacity. The proposed research builds on well-cited and policy-adopted scholarship linking local scale action with innovative strategies to build capacity in coastal communities (e.g., Elrick-Barr et al 2016, 2017, 2022). The project will:

1. Explore how local scale connection in neighborhoods vulnerable to coastal climate hazards facilitates access to, and mobilization of, capacity.
2. Critically analyze and demonstrate how connection and capacity change in response to socio-ecological change, and the impacts of these factors on local scale preparation, response and recovery.
3. Identify leverage points to build community resilience to coastal climate hazards that optimize and guide government interventions.

Key benefits of the study include: (i) achieving Australia’s national resilience goal of empowering communities, and reducing the significant social, economic, and environmental impacts of climate hazards; and (ii) generating new knowledge to address UN Sustainable Development Goal 13, target 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters; and Goal 11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

The project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects Funding Scheme (Project DE240100611).

Main Contact:

Dr Carmen Elrick-Barr, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, celrick@usc.edu.au.

Click here to read more.

The post FEC Recruits New Affiliated Project: Building community resilience to coastal climate hazards appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

The project intends to explore the relationship between media and climate change with a focus on the information needs of the coastal communities. The project activities in the form of small sensitization workshops and community outreach campaigns will help the coastal community to understand the impact of climate change on coastal ecologies. The communication and outreach activities will help the state and private development agencies and the opinion leaders of the coastal communities to expand their understanding and awareness of macro and micro ecological interventions in terms of economic stability, climate resilience and maintaining the coastal biodiversity. The activities can play a significant role by acting as a source of awareness, advocacy and policy change.

Purpose

The purpose of the project is to ensure an active and engaged citizenry at local level. The discourse will be on exploring the expanded role of communication outreach in increasing the ability of local people of coastal communities to connect with one another, and to engage directly on advocacy and policy issues.

The planned communication and outreach activities will be centered on coastal communities and awareness and sensitization messages will be used to encourage citizen action through outreach campaigns on coastal climate issues.

• The project will help the climate experts and policy makers to understand how community outreach situates itself in the large realm of public and civic communications at local level.
• It will deepen the understating of the coastal community about the relationship between communication and civic engagement in local governance.
• The project activities will help the coastal community people to explore their information needs about climate change and will help them to develop a clear perception about climate change by using their considerable public trust to build local acceptance of climate change through small narratives.

Main Contact:

Professor Pradeep Nair, Future Earth Coasts Fellow/Central University of Himachal Pradesh, India

Click here to read more: https://www.futureearthcoasts.org/affiliated-projects-activities/

The post FEC Recruits New Affiliated Project: Creating Resilience among Coastal Communities: Communication Outreach and Climate Change appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

Future Earth Coasts (FEC) is proud to announce that it is spearheading a groundbreaking initiative, “Developing a Meta-Network (Network of Networks) for Collaboration of Programs on Oceans, Marginal Seas, and Coasts Under the Future Earth.” FEC, in collaboration with SIMSEA (The Sustainability Initiative in the Marginal Seas of South and East Asia) and PEMSEA (Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia), has secured funding from the Future Earth Cross-Cutting Initiatives Grant Program for this transformative project.

The project aims to foster collaborations among various global and regional programs, initiatives, and organizations to enhance global sustainability science in coastal zones and marginal seas. With a primary focus on integrating knowledge from diverse scientific disciplines, the initiative seeks to address critical gaps in coastal zone management and fortify existing initiatives. Engaging student researchers and sustainability actors actively, the project is set to establish a scalable and sustained platform for evidence-informed decision-making.

The project’s timeline spans three years, starting with a comprehensive gap analysis and stakeholder engagement in Year 1, followed by network integration, data consolidation, and capacity development in Year 2. The final year will see ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and expansion of the initiative. Anticipated outcomes include enhanced collaboration among Meta-Network members, improved access to research resources and data, strengthened engagement with decision-makers and stakeholders, and the advancement of global sustainability science in coastal zones and marginal seas. A regional scale Core-and-Network System (CNS) will be incorporated in the Meta-Network for developing new coastal zone management methodologies based on integrated multi-scale and comprehensive monitoring networks in Southeast Asia and its surrounding areas. Crucially, the project emphasizes the involvement of student researchers and sustainability actors in various activities, providing mentorship and skill development to tackle challenges in coastal zone and marginal seas sustainability.

This significant project marks a pivotal step forward in FEC’s mission to advance sustainable socio-ecological systems in coastal regions. It holds the promise of a more resilient and sustainable future for our planet’s oceans, seas, and coasts, all thanks to FEC’s dedication to driving positive change. The project’s implementation is eagerly anticipated and is poised to leave a lasting impact on global sustainability science and coastal management, showcasing the unwavering commitment of FEC in shaping a better future for our coasts and oceans.

The post Meta-Network Leads the Way in Pioneering Coastal Sustainability: A Pivotal Step Towards a Resilient Future appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.

Activities at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park:

• Science Experiments: Sediment Settling and Ocean Acidification
• Ocean Trivia Quiz
• Ocean-themed Drawing

Watch our video to learn more about our event at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park:

The post FEC on World Oceans Day 2024 appeared first on Future Earth Coasts.