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Coastal News from the Field: Nonprofit Organizations’ Roles in Living Shorelines Promotion

By Ellis Kalaidjian

In an era of escalating climate change and rapid urbanization, the vulnerability of coastal communities to the devastating impacts of rising sea levels, intensified storms, and erosion has become increasingly evident. In this precarious context, the significance of nature-based solutions (NBS) in bolstering coastal resilience cannot be overstated. Nature, with its intrinsic ability to adapt and regenerate, offers a blueprint for sustainable strategies that harmonize human development with the natural world. Yet, despite a growing demand for NBS—evidenced by increased attention to NBS in climate change policy 1—traditional, hardened infrastructure is still the mainstream for coastal resilience projects. This disconnect requires, among other things, reflection on the roles that many stakeholders will need to play in the promotion of NBS alternatives, given the multiple jurisdictions involved in coastal management. In a recent publication in Coastal Management, a group of researchers from Old Dominion University, including TCS member Michelle Covi, investigated the roles that environmental nonprofit organizations can play in the promotion of a particular type of NBS, living shorelines.

The study employed a qualitative research approach to analyze the roles of several Virginia-based environmental nonprofits and the activities they undertake in encouraging living shorelines over shoreline hardening. The researchers conducted a series of interviews with senior-level staff of each nonprofit, in which they probed information related to the organizations’ work related to shoreline management and the centrality of this work to their mission, collaborations with other nonprofits and contractors, and their advocacy activities at the local, state, or federal level. Interview recordings were transcribed and then qualitatively coded to identify overlapping themes related to roles amongst the transcripts.

Five roles were identified in their analysis: (1) public education about living shorelines, (2) advocacy for living shorelines, (3) technical assistance to design and install living shoreline projects, (4) training for professionals to increase capacity for living shoreline projects, and (5) access to funding. The first role, education, is the primary role played by environmental nonprofits in promoting living shorelines, and public education activities mentioned in interviews included holding standalone information sessions, workshops, and other events targeted at the general public. Advocacy, the second main role, came in many forms in the study sample, ranging from local-level advocacy efforts to, e.g., incorporate NBS in local zoning ordinances, to national-level advocacy efforts to mobilize resources for living shorelines. Several nonprofits in their sample also emphasized the roles they play in assisting with the permitting, planning, design, and construction phases of NBS projects, often acting as intermediaries between property owners and contractors. Along with offering technical assistance, nonprofits offer training to prospective NBS actioners through specialized certification programs. And, lastly, several interviewees’ organizations underscored their roles in mobilizing funding for living shorelines in the form of, e.g., localized cost-share programs to help incentivize living shoreline implementation on private properties or assistance navigating the expansive landscape of federal grant programs.

While maintaining recognition of the local specificity of this study’s results, their findigs allow us to confidently speculate about the potential roles, both upstream and downstream of the living shorelines regulatory process, that environmental nonprofits can play in NBS promotion nationwide. As the authors conclude, the practical implications for promoting greater involvement by the nonprofit sector in shoreline management include the following:

  • Extensive involvement in public education – identifying best practices for improving how effectively nonprofits engage with and educate the public.
  • Encouraging advocacy at different levels of government to receive feedback regarding effectiveness of permitting process and regulatory specification on the ground.
  • Ensuring nonprofits have adequate and up-to-date scientific and technical knowledge to design and build living shoreline projects.
  • Support in publicizing training programs and partnering with more nonprofits on defining training standards and delivering training programs.
  • Expanding nonprofit partnerships that focus on funding access for property owners and construction professionals training to incentivize more living shoreline projects in coastal areas.

Citation:

Saitgalina, M., Yusuf, J. E., & Covi, M. (2023). Shoreline Management and Coastal Resilience in Virginia: Analysis of the Roles of Environmental Nonprofit Organizations in Encouraging Living Shorelines. Coastal Management, 51(3), 172-185.

Disclaimer: This post does not serve as an endorsement of the author’s opinion, nor does it express the views of the Coastal Society.

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TCS Coastal Connections Web Meeting on Natural Marine Sanctuaries

By Ashley Gordon

From the majestic depths of the ocean to its vibrant coastlines, our planet’s marine ecosystems have long captivated the human imagination. Recognizing the profound significance of these underwater wonders, national marine sanctuaries (NMS) emerged as beacons of conservation and exploration. Serving as underwater havens for biodiversity and cultural heritage, these sanctuaries embody our commitment to safeguarding the natural treasures that lie beneath the waves. As our world faces mounting environmental challenges, the importance of these sanctuaries has never been more evident. This vital conservation measure was the topic of the fifteenth session of The Coastal Society Coastal Connections Web Series, held on Thursday, February 23rd through Zoom.

This session saw twenty-one attendees that included both current TCS members and non-TCS members. Steve MacLeod, TCS Past President, kicked off the session by providing a brief overview of TCS and the Coastal Connections web series. The session was then moderated by Ellen Brody, Regional Coordinator of the Eastern Region of the NOAA NMS Program. Ellen provided a brief history of the NMS. NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries Program recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. In 1972, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act was passed, which also coincided with the Coastal Zone Management Act. In 1974, the first NMS was designated after the discovery of the USS Monitor. Ellen then touched on the current state of the NMS Program and how it works. As she explained, the current NMS landscape covers more than 620,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters (map of current sanctuaries available here). NMSs support resource protection, research and monitoring, education and outreach, and community engagement. Sanctuary Advisory Councils are established for each NMS that bring together a variety of interests and provide advice to the NMS program.

This session’s panelists included Paul Michel, Regional Policy Coordinator for the West Coast Region, and LeAnn Hogan, Regional Operations Coordinator for the Eastern Region, who shared examples of how NMS make a difference. On the west coast, the NMS program supported research and the establishment of the West Coast Vessel Speed Reduction (VSR) Program to reduce the number of whale ship strikes. Over 18 global shopping companies and 559 ships have participated, resulting in a 50% reduction in ship strikes on whales and the additional benefit of greenhouse gas reduction. In the Florida Keys, the Damage Response and Restoration Program of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuaries supports addressing impacts from vessel groundings, including vessel and debris removal and seagrass and coral reef restoration.

Another key discussion topic was the evolution of the NMS system over time. In 2014, a new approach to NMS system expansion was established that focused on a community-based process. Communities submit a nomination to NOAA that is then reviewed and, if accepted, placed on the NMS inventory. In addition to recent sanctuary expansions (Flower Garden Banks) and new NMS designations (Mallows Bay-Potomac River and Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast), the panelists discussed the following proposed NMS:

  • Chumash Heritage (lead by Paul Michel) – Located in the Pacific Ocean off the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County coastlines, this area is ecologically rich and dynamic with unique geomorphological features and historic shipwrecks. Proponents of the sanctuary, the Sierra Club, Surf Rider, and the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, highlighted a myriad of issues the NMS could address and the importance of recognizing Indigenous heritage and cultures. The NMS program is working to involve Tribal Bands in collaborative management approaches.
  • Hudson Canyon (lead by LeAnn Hogan) – Located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York and New Jersey, this ecological hot spot serves an important economic role for commercial and recreational fisheries. The Wildlife Conservation Society submitted the nomination. Given the large number of stakeholders engaged in this area of the ocean, the Hudson Canyon process has included a collaborative public scoping process to identify the potential NMS boundaries.
  • Eastern Lake Ontario (lead by Ellen Brody) – The nomination was submitted by four counties and the City of Oswego with support from the State of New York and focused on maritime heritage resources. As part of this designation process, NMS is working with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to re-establish their connection with their ancestral lands. The notice of proposed rulemaking was recently published, and it is anticipated the designation will be finalized in a year.

Following these presentations, the group discussed topics that included regulations and enforcement within NMS, the selection of NMS and pace/prioritization for going through the designation process, and coordination with fisheries management and offshore wind development.

Overall, this session facilitated a fruitful conversation about a conservation measure of ever-increasing importance. NMS stand as vital guardians of our marine heritage, inspiring us to protect and preserve these fragile ecosystems for future generations. We learned a lot from our panelists, and the results from our post-event survey revealed that our participants did too—100% of respondents found the event to be extremely informative! With another successful TCS Coastal Connections in the books, we look forward to seeing you at the next one.

The session was recorded and posted on the TCS YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB6IH2Cvmo4

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TCS Professional Spotlights in 2022: TCS Members Learned about Coastal Career Paths

By Ashley Gordon

As part of The Coastal Society’s Coastal Connections web conferencing series, the Coastal Society (TCS) hosted two Professional Spotlight sessions featuring TCS members in 2022. During these Spotlight sessions, TCS members have the opportunity to learn about the career path of a featured TCS member, discuss career tips, and connect with other TCS members at various stages of their careers. To receive invitations for future Professional Spotlight sessions, please be sure your TCS membership is current. Join or renew at Membership – The Coastal Society. You can also read more about the Coastal Connections series on the TCS website. 

Our 2022 featured speakers included Amy Whitt, founder and CEO of Azura Consulting, LLC, and Don Davis, Director of Oral History for the Louisiana Sea Grant Program. Highlights from each of the sessions are shared below. To access recordings of these sessions, TCS members may request a link by sending an email to admin@thecoastalsociety.org.

Amy Whitt, founder and CEO of Azura Consulting, LLC, was our guest speaker during the session held on May 17, 2022. Amy provided an overview of her career path to starting and growing an environmental consulting firm that provides services focused on the research, conservation, and management of protected species, populations, and habitats, outreach and education, and professional communication. The Azura team has worked with federal and state agencies, private organizations, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and the offshore energy industry. Amy also shared her experiences working in marine mammal and sea turtle research, coastal environmental management, conservation and education, and ocean policy.

Amy offered several tips for pursuing a career path in environmental consulting, including the importance of writing skills, maintaining a personal resume database of your skills, training, and certifications, building your professional network, and volunteering time to give back to the scientific community. View Amy’s presentation HERE.

Don Davis (PhD), Director of Oral History for the Louisiana Sea Grant program, was our guest speaker during the session held on October 6, 2022. Don recently co-authored a book, Asian-Cajun Fusion: Shrimp from the Bay to the Bayou, with Carl Brasseaux. This book traces the origins of the shrimp drying industry in the United States back to 1870, when Chinese immigrants founded the industry in New Orleans. The coastal Lousiana region continues to export dried shrimp to Asian markets domestically and internationally. Don noted that “the [coastal Louisiana] landscape is and has always been a working coast. The coast is not a place but a process; it only becomes a place when people live there.”

Don offered several pieces of advice based on his experiences, including how critical it is to understand the human dimension and engage with people before making decisions. Don also emphasized the importance of following your passion, learning something new everyday, and working hard while maintaining a work-life balance. View Don’s presentation HERE.

We thank all our guest speakers for taking time to share their stories! Stay tuned for more TCS Coastal Connections sessions coming in 2023!

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2022 TCS Coastal Career Workshop in New Orleans

By Tom Bigford

On December 4th, 2022, TCS convened its 22nd Coastal Career workshop in New Orleans. This ongoing workshop series is part of TCS’s Margaret A. Davidson (MAD) Coastal Career Development Program, which was initiated in 2018 to prepare the next generation of coastal professionals. The workshop was sponsored by Louisiana Sea Grant, the National Academy of Science’s Gulf Research Program, and the Louisiana Science Teachers Association (LSTA), and was hosted by the Meraux Foundation. Among the workshop’s key partners were Restore America’s Estuaries, which was hosting its biennial summit the following week, and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

Strong sponsor support enabled TCS to test five approaches not attempted in earlier MAD workshops:

1. Given that this was the first completely in-person event in the last two years, we established clear protocols to reduce the risk of covid-19 and classroom or field accidents. We employed safe distancing when indoors and every one of our 62 attendees completed a legal release for accidents. This was very important as we switched venues for talks and breaks around the host campus and then used bus transportation to offsite destinations

2. Next, we collaborated with the LSTA to reach STEM high schools, thereby shifting beyond our traditional focus on graduate schools to include students as early as 10th grade. We had a particularly strong showing from the high school upper-classes.

A view of the audience in the opening sessions of the MAD New Orleans workshop in December 2022. Attendees heard from four coastal experts before breaking into smaller groups for discussions about job trends, career options, professional skills, and much more.

3. We designed special activities and talks for the younger students in high school, at community colleges, or early in a four-year program while continuing to provide academic and professional career advice to attendees closer to their terminal degree. The most popular hands-on module was underwater research, and favorite talks covered job-hunting skills, networking, USAJobs, and contracting with state and federal agencies.

4. We supplemented our morning of introductory talks and break-out sessions with three afternoon stops along the Mississippi River to view a sampling of the coastal careers shared by our morning speakers – tree farming to provide material for shoreline protection, oyster restoration efforts supported by shell recycling programs, and one of many diversion structures redirecting river waters into coastal marshes.

Workshop participants visit the plant and tree nursery at the Meraux Foundation campus. Roots of small shrubs and trees help to strengthen coastal lands and reduce erosion.
Shift change at the oyster shell recycling site managed by the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. Bags of recycled shells are placed in coastal waters to provide clean settling surfaces for oyster larvae and to dampen storm surge and coastal erosion.

5. Finally, we made a conscious effort to attract a more diverse audience than had participated in earlier workshops. We greatly exceeded expectations with student attendees but not our speakers. Our efforts will continue as we seek a representative cross-section of students and speakers.

This workshop was the most recent example of how TCS is improving the MAD Coastal Career Development Program. We look forward to continued success with our slate of workshops in 2023. Watch https://thecoastalsociety.org/ for the latest on upcoming MAD workshops.

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Coastal News from the Field: Considering the Human Well-Being Impacts of Marine Protected Areas

By Ellis Kalaidjian

A comprehensive approach to sustainable development considers social impacts in environmental management and policy decisions. In practice, this requires decision-makers to have a nuanced understanding of how the services afforded by natural environments contribute to the livelihoods and well-being (generally understood as a measure of quality of life) of individuals and communities adjacent to them. The relationships between communities and their surrounding environments are dynamic and often place-specific. This month’s edition of the Coastal News from the Field series features a timely study by researchers from the University of St. Andrews, who explore the livelihood and well-being impacts of the Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve, a marine protected area (MPA) in Kenya, on nearby communities. The article was recently published in Coastal Management.

Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve (WMNPR) was designated as a protected area in 1968 and as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1979. The MPA comprises over 40 km2 of coral reef, seagrass, mangrove, and sandflat habitats. Nearby villages are supported by key ecological and economic services provided by this habitat complex. The MPA’s offshore reefs provide coastal protection and, along with the mangrove and seagrass habitats, serve as important spawning ground habitat for fish species. Various livelihoods, including fishing, tourism-based activities, fuelwood harvesting and beekeeping, are also supported by the MPA. Yet, land-use changes and other anthropogenic stressors have degraded the ecosystems upon which the coastal Kenyan region heavily relies.

A map of the WMNPR and its regional setting (source: Kenya Wildlife Service, 2016)

The research team investigated how the presence of the WMNPR has impacted the livelihoods of those in proximity to it and, in turn, three dimensions—material, relational, and subjective—of such individuals’ well-being. Researchers surveyed 308 inhabitants of two towns, Uyombo and Mida, that differed socio-demographically and in their geographic proximities to the MPA. Uyombo is closer to the MPA than Mida yet is more removed from the economic activities and tourism associated with it. Through various statistical analyses of survey responses, the study offered several key findings:

  1. As anticipated, primary livelihoods differed significantly by town; owning a small business (selling clothes, fruit, etc.) was the most frequently reported livelihood in Uyombo, whereas crop farming was most engaged in by respondents from Mida. Yet, differences in levels of dependence on the WMNPR between the two villages could not be confirmed.
  2. Two key benefits were cited most often by survey respondents: (1) the MPA has contributed to improvements in their health, and (2) the MPA has allowed them to enjoy a healthy coastal ecosystem. By contrast, the most often reported disbenefits of the MPA were a decrease in natural resource management participation, as well as increased conflict and social tension.
  3. The benefits and disbenefits reported captured all three dimensions of well-being.

The authors conclude that their findings have significant implications for both research and the management of the WMNPR. The direct influence of WMNPR on the livelihoods of residents in Uyombo and Mida may be smaller than previously believed. For researchers, this suggests that trades such as fishing, which are overstudied in investigations of the communities that are impacted by MPAs, should be considered more evenly alongside others to ensure that vulnerable demographics are not overlooked. The finding that respondents were often dissatisfied with their decreased participation in the management of the areas comprising the WMNPR suggests that its governance needs to further promote bottom-up approaches that will comprehensively address the identified disbenefits. Moving forward, continued research about the dynamics of communities’ relationships with MPAs will help further inform management that adequately weighs well-being considerations.

Citation: Harker, A. L., Stojanovic, T. A., Majalia, A. M., Jackson, C., Baya, S., & Tsiganyiu, K. D. (2022). Relationships between Livelihoods, Well-Being, and Marine Protected Areas: Evidence from a Community Survey, Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve, Kenya. Coastal Management, 1-24. DOI: 10.1080/08920753.2022.2126266

Disclaimer: This post does not serve as an endorsement of the author’s opinion, nor does it express the views of the Coastal Society.

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TCS Members in the Spotlight during the 2021 Coastal Connections Series

By Steven MacLeod and Ashley Gordon

The Coastal Society (TCS) hosted three Professional Spotlight sessions featuring TCS members in 2021. Each Spotlight session features seasoned TCS professionals who share their career paths and provide career tips to students and young professional members. These events also serve as an opportunity for members to connect and network. The Professional Spotlight events are hosted as part of the Coastal Connections series to benefit TCS members. The video sessions were recorded via Zoom; TCS members may request a link to these recordings by sending an email here. To receive invitations for future Professional Spotlight sessions, please be sure your TCS membership is current. Join or renew at Membership – The Coastal Society. You can also read more about the Coastal Connections series on the TCS website.  

Kristen Fletcher (J.D.), Faculty Associate at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California, was our guest speaker during the session held on Monday, May 10, 2021. Kristen provided an overview of her professional journey, stemming from law degrees at Notre Dame and Lewis and Clark Law School. This included working for NOAA Sea Grant for 10 years at the University of Mississippi and Roger Williams University. She then took the role of Executive Director of the Coastal States Organization. During this time, she became involved with TCS and served a term as TCS President.

Kristen and her family later moved to California, where she explored several employment options (such as founding her own environmental consulting firm) before joining the NPS. At the NPS, she has helped lead the development of the NPS Climate and Security Network. Kristen noted several professional lessons learned, including being open to change (whether you choose it or not!) and being generous with your time to connect with others. She encouraged participants to ask for support from their professional network.

Discussion following Kristen’s presentation focused on topics such as facilitating multiple ocean uses through marine spatial planning, balancing multiple professional interests in your career, and the value of identifying metrics to track your professional accomplishments (e.g., percent growth of your organization). View Kristen’s presentation HERE.

Michael Orbach (PhD), Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Marine Affairs and Policy at Duke University, was our guest speaker during the session held on Thursday, July 8, 2021. Mike discussed his educational background leading to a Ph.D. in Anthropology from U.C. San Diego. He then took a position with NOAA as a social science advisor before returning to academic roles at UC Santa Cruz, East Carolina University, and Duke University. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, including a role as President of The Coastal Society in the mid-1990s and a current position as chair of the National Research Council’s Committee on Offshore Science and Assessment which advises the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Mike’s research has focused on domestic and international fishery management and social science applications in coastal management and policy. He advised young professionals to be creative and willing to make a change to do something out of the ordinary. Mike also stressed the importance of developing a network of contacts, noting that this was key to his own career transitions and led to a relatively unique position as a “professor of practice”.

Following Mike’s presentation, discussion with participants included a “bottom-up” approach to stakeholder engagement, whereby Mike observed that we cannot “force a solution” and expect to achieve consensus. He suggested that while research and advocacy were important in achieving a conservation goal, most of the work relates to facilitating the coordination and implementation of ideas. Mike also offered tips for pursuing international jobs. View Mike’s presentation HERE.

Rebekah Padgett was our guest speaker for the session on Thursday, December 15, 2021. Rebekah is the 401/CZM Federal Permit Manager for the Washington (State) Department of Ecology (DOE) responsible for water quality certification and coastal consistency reviews, a role she has held since 2004. She outlined her educational background leading to a Master’s in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. She noted brief roles with the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and a consulting firm before joining DOE. In 2019 and 2020, she was on sabbatical, performing marine debris research for the Centre for Action Environment Science Society (CARESS) in Tamil Nadu, India.

Rebekah emphasized the importance of building lasting, reciprocal relationships and seeking different perspectives. She also spoke on the value of continuous learning, being flexible, staying open to new opportunities, and volunteering. Rebekah previously served on the Board of Directors for TCS and is currently volunteering with Ecologists Without Borders as their representative to Global Partnership on Marine Litter.

Rebekah’s presentation was followed by a discussion that covered exploring fellowship opportunities as a student, building a network with others in your field, how to highlight skills developed through diverse experiences when applying for a new job, and how regulatory/permitting positions can provide exposure to diverse types of projects.

We thank all our guest speakers for taking time to share their stories! 

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TCS Coastal Connections Discusses Coastal Storms and Community Resilience

By Ellis Kalaidjian and Ashley Gordon

Coastal communities are experiencing more intense storms under a changing climate—this past Atlantic hurricane season was the third most active in recorded history, hosting one of the five costliest hurricanes to impact the US. Future storm impacts are predicted to be exacerbated by continued sea-level rise and population growth along coastlines, combined with climatic changes breeding favorable environmental conditions for the development of more frequent intense storms. Building coastal community resilience is thus continually placed on local, state, and federal agendas, and it served as the subject of the Coastal Society’s (TCS) Coastal Connections session, held on October, 21, 2021. A recording of the session is available here.

TCS President, Steve MacLeod, initiated the session by familiarizing attendants with TCS and the Coastal Connections web series and then inviting attending Board Members to introduce themselves. The session was moderated by Kim Grubert, Project Consultant on the Sustainability, Energy, and Climate Change team at WSP USA, Inc. and TCS Chapters Committee Co-Chair. Presentations were then given by the following panelists: Erik Heden, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Newport/Morehead City, NC, and Jill Gambill, Coastal Resilience Specialist at University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.

Erik Heden provided an overview of the National Weather Service’s (NWS) extensive community outreach initiatives. NWS organizes hurricane outlook talks with core partners that provide information on potential hurricane impacts. During Hurricane Preparedness Week in May, NWS conducts outreach that includes messaging related to developing an evacuation plan, assembling a disaster supply kit, and getting flood insurance (more information is available at https://www.weather.gov/wrn/hurricane-preparedness). NWS also organizes outreach talks for schools and community groups that offer safety information related to rip currents, floods, lightning, and hurricanes. Mr. Heden also touched on the efforts of the NWS Newport/Morehead City office, which coordinates with NC Sea Grant to provide information related to sea-level rise and potential impacts. Specific outreach requests include providing talks for military professionals related to hurricane preparedness and outreach booths at community events. New outreach efforts include NWS hurricane community forums (in-person and virtual) that focus on sharing key preparedness messages and the Weather Ready Nation Ambassador program to support community engagement. NWS Tropical SKYWARN and Integrated Warning Team training are also available. For more information on flood risk and outreach efforts, visit weather.gov.

Jill Gambill discussed NOAA Georgia Sea Grant’s efforts related to coastal resilience planning for coastal storms and sea level rise. In coastal Georgia, more than 10 inches of sea-level rise has been measured at the NOAA Fort Pulaski tide gauge since 1935. Tide gauge data supports that the frequency and magnitude of flooding in coastal Georgia are increasing, and the regional rate of sea level rise is accelerating. Sea Grant is working to increase community capacity and mitigate risk to natural hazards. Current Georgia Sea Grant efforts include diversifying their workforce, progressing equitable access to resources and decision-making processes, and seeking community input on communicating flood risk. Georgia Sea Grant, with funding from NOAA’s Weather Program Office and in collaboration with the NWS, is developing virtual reality simulations of structural flooding from storm surge. The platform also provides methods to explore the benefits of different mitigation measures, such as elevating a home or purchasing flood insurance. Ms. Gambill also highlighted the importance of considering environmental, economic, and social benefits of community projects and provided an example of urban tree restoration efforts in Savannah that have multiple benefits of flood reduction, heat reduction, workforce development, and youth engagement.

To continue the TCS discussion of climate change challenges for coastal communities, our next Coastal Connections session will be focused on sea level rise. The Coastal Connections discussion will be held on Wednesday. March 30th from 3-4pm Eastern. Join us to learn about trends in sea level rise, considering recent data in comparison to the geological record, and participate in a discussion about sea level rise impacts on coastal resources and general mitigation approaches. Featured speakers include:

  • John Englander, Oceanographer/Author
  • Molly Mitchell, PhD, Research Assistant Professor at Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Following presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their own expertise in a moderated discussion. To participate in this free event, please register on Eventbrite at the following link: https://tcs-coastal-connections-web-meeting11.eventbrite.com

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Recent TCS Partnership Seeks to Diversify the Ocean and Coastal Science Career Space

By Elise Mason

The COVID-19 pandemic not only shuttered our shared work and study spaces, but it also coincided with nationally palpable social unrest that highlighted ongoing social justice issues within higher education, and governmental and corporate institutions, regarding bias and discrimination faced by many students and professional scientists of color. The unfortunate truth is not something that has occurred by happenstance: a lack of diversity breeds discriminatory behaviors which often drive people of color out of positions in the coastal, ocean, and marine (COM) sciences or keep them from entering in the first place (Berhe et al., 2021). All Americans have supposedly been afforded equal rights since The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 (or Juneteenth in 1865, depending on whom you ask), and yet Black Americans often were not allowed to partake in marine science endeavors alongside White Americans until nearly 40 years ago—over a decade after the height of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and the beginnings of integrating the segregated public school system following the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme court decision in 19541. For instance, Evan B. Ford was the first Black scientist to participate in research dives aboard a deep-sea submersible in 19792.

Over the past nine months, The Coastal Society (TCS) has partnered with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Education and Outreach group on a unique diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) effort that fits within the paradigm of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) one-year grant, supported TCS in co-organizing a series of free, virtual career development events for faculty and underrepresented minorities (URM) in the COM sciences fields at federally designated minority serving institutions (MSIs)3. The effort is in response to mounting anecdotal and empirical evidence of the underrepresentation of Black Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities within the COM fields relative to other demographic groups in the United States (NSF & NCSES, 2017). Although racial and ethnic minority representation is similarly scarce in other spaces of higher education, the lack of diversity in the COM science disciplines is particularly persistent (Bernard & Cooperdock, 2018) and the effects are visible in the academic and non-academic workforce.

COM sciences are interdisciplinary which can translate to ill-defined career paths; opportunities extend across biological sciences, engineering, math and technology, economics, and social science sectors. Jobs and “the workforce” are vital institutional structures that impact survival, well-being and public health outcomes, and social status. A career path that exemplifies one’s individual passions, values, and skills is important for all, including people of color. It is NSF’s stance that a robust STEM workforce is a national priority4, and a strong national workforce is a diverse one. Professional societies like TCS can expand their support to a diverse ocean and coastal workforce of researchers, educators, practitioners, and government officials. TCS has begun to strengthen this diversity within its membership, both through its collaboration with NCAR and the newly developed 5-year DEI Strategic Plan.

The TCS-NCAR partnership proposed two main goals: (1) retain and support undergraduate and graduate students in pursuing careers in these fields; and (2) build faculty and staff capacity at MSIs to provide students with career development training. This was to be accomplished through a set of virtual outreach activities, which developed over the course of the project. The challenge was to address these ambitious goals within a short timeframe. What objectives would realistically be feasible given our resources and how could they be achieved?

The project team of three painstakingly collected contact information of COM faculty from online directories at 16 MSIs with relevant curricula. We arranged informal small group meetings with faculty at seven of the 16 schools and it became apparent from these conversations that the second goal—to build faculty and staff capacity at MSIs—did not align with the capacity of the faculty at these institutions. Nevertheless, the majority remained open to communicating suggestions that would create professional opportunities for their students during and after their formal education. 

By the conclusion of the project, four free public career development workshop events and one faculty forum were hosted through Zoom and Google Meet platforms. Designating events as Zoom meetings rather than webinars created a more intimate setting for the events. Through this format, participants could see each other and speak live directly to the group. All events were offered between September 2021 and February 2022 and were around 75 minutes in duration. The workshops attracted both graduate and undergraduate students enrolled at MSIs and those who were not. The faculty forum allowed for an informal dialogue about career development projects undertaken by different departments and an opportunity to expand inter-institutional networks. 

The feedback received from attendees was limited yet positive and supportive of the endeavor. Students reported interest in, “[m]ore networking opportunities for both as a scientist and for people of color, URM in these fields,” and appreciated that, “panelists were very candid and sincere about their experiences.” One student remarked that, “The advice I really appreciated was opening my eyes to the fact I did not need to solely rely on loans for grad school and that I could be picky about my options.” Another participant shared in the virtual chat, “The opportunity to ask questions regarding grad school really made my decision much more clear to start working towards a future in grad school”5. 

It is my hope that these meaningful programmatic events continue to be incorporated at TCS. The experience of co-facilitating this project has been invaluable to me, one of many emerging professional scientists of color working outside academia. I recommend that future DEI efforts work toward smaller, more easily measurable goals, that projects and opportunities for students of color are designed with students, faculty, and professionals of color, and that those projects are reflective and mutually beneficial for all participants.

Disclaimer: This post does not serve as an endorsement of the author’s opinion, nor does it express the views of the Coastal Society.

References and Further Reading:

  1. Berhe, A. A., Barnes, R. T., Hastings, M. G., Mattheis, A., Schneider, B., Williams, B. M., & Marín-Spiotta, E. (2022). Scientists from historically excluded groups face a hostile obstacle course. Nature Geoscience, 15(1), 2-4.
  2. Bernard, R. E., & Cooperdock, E. H. (2018). No progress on diversity in 40 years. Nature Geoscience, 11(5), 292-295.
  3. Gasman, M., Nguyen, T. H., & Conrad, C. F. (2015). Lives intertwined: A primer on the history and emergence of minority serving institutions. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 8(2), 120.
  4. National Science Foundation, & National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. (2017). Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2017. Special Report NSF 17–310. Arlington, VA. Retrieved from: www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/.
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TCS Continues Successful Shift to Virtual Coastal Career Workshops in 2021

By Jeff Flood, Tom Bigford, Adrian Laufer, & Lisa Kim

Following a successful series of Margaret A. Davidson (MAD) Coastal Career Workshops in 2020, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, TCS has refined its processes for planning and conducting virtual events while also broadening its approach to include more speakers from diverse backgrounds and tailoring workshop topics to the interests and regional characteristics of the hosting institutions. Workshop formats also varied to meet the needs of attendees and reflected the creative thinking of TCS MAD Coastal Career Development Committee (welcoming two new members). The result was five successful workshops, described in more detail below.

Atlantic Estuarine Research Society

On April 27, 2021, TCS partnered with the Atlantic Estuarine Research Society (AERS) to host a half-day workshop in conjunction with their joint spring meeting with the New England Estuarine Research Society (NERRS). This event marked the fourth consecutive virtual workshop during the pandemic and demonstrated continued success in recruiting speakers of diverse backgrounds and utilizing virtual breakout sessions to promote more interaction by attendees. MAD Committee co-chair Tom Bigford led the planning team effort with support from MAD Committee co-chair Jeff Flood and TCS Members Cassie Wilson and Trystan Sill.

University of Rhode Island

Current leadership and recent graduates of the University of Rhode Island’s TCS student chapter hosted a half-day event on May 18, 2021 focused on broad topics such as jobs in international ocean policy and marine industry opportunities and technical advice on virtual networking, applying for Federal agency jobs, and crafting diversity statements for job applications and organizations once you’re hired. Jeff led the planning team effort with support from Tom, Cassie, Trystan, and URI Chapter President Courtney Milley as well as recent URI graduates Joe Dwyer and Eric Kretsch.

Oregon Sea Grant

On June 29 and 30, 2021, former NOAA Coastal Management Fellow (and current TCS Board Member) Adrian Laufer collaborated with Oregon Sea Grant to sponsor and host a West Coast workshop for graduate-level fellows. Adrian worked directly with current Oregon Sea Grant graduate fellows, leveraging their Community of Practice to engage with other graduate fellows in Oregon, California, Washington, Alaska, Hawai’i, and Pacific Islands. Oregon graduate fellows played a role in determining the workshop topics, The workshop reached a total of 56 attendees: five from Alaska; eight from California; four from Hawai’i and the Pacific; 19 from Oregon; nine from Washington; and eight with no west coast Sea Grant affiliation. The planning team also coordinated an ocean and coastal themed trivia event, hosted by the Surfrider Foundation, to follow the last day of the workshop, as a means of facilitating community building across west coast fellows. The workshop was incredibly well-received, with 100% of attendees reporting that they are inclined to participate in more TCS events or become TCS members. In addition, the TCS planning team members made valuable regional connections, establishing a solid foundation to bring more resources to enhance student and young professionals’ experience in this area.

Michigan Sea Grant

TCS designed a hybrid in-person and virtual full-day MAD workshop on November 16, 2021 to meet the specific needs of the Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The event was sponsored by the College’s Fisheries and Wildlife Department, easing participation by 22 graduate students. The program featured plenary sessions on the shifting employment landscape and careers outside academia and offered content on six professional skills needed to launch a rewarding career, including mentors, networks, virtual and in-person interviews, working in public and private sectors, and work-life balance. This workshop was a return to the full-day program TCS has missed since switching to a virtual format. Tom led the workshop effort with assistance from Jeff and new MAD Committee Member Lisa Kim.

Duke University

Despite a busy semester, the Duke student chapter showed tremendous leadership and resolve in planning and hosting a workshop on December 3, 2021 that featured several Duke alumni and was characterized by a more free-flowing discussion between participants and speakers than in previous workshops. In addition to being an outstanding experience for all those involved, the new agenda format provided yet another example of how the TCS planning team can learn a great deal from the host institution. Duke Chapter Vice President Kara Nunnally led the planning team with assistance from Chapter officers and TCS MAD Committee Members Jeff, Tom, Lisa, and Kelly Dobroski.

At each of the 2021 workshops, skilled speakers representing many sectors and perspectives shared their personal stories and tips for how to be successful in a coastal career. Nearly all registrants (90% average) felt the workshops were a good use of their time and most (75%) thought the nominal registration fee was appropriate.

Since December of 2018, TCS has hosted 16 MAD Coastal Career Workshops. TCS is currently planning the rest of its 2022 calendar and anticipates partnering with The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to host a workshop in conjunction with Capitol Hill Oceans Week in early June, working with west coast Sea Grant offices to host another west coast graduate fellow workshop in early summer, and continuing to coordinate with TCS student chapters to tailor events to fit their need. The MAD Committee continues to coordinate with the DEIJ Working Group to reach historically underserved communities while also looking to access new geographic regions such as the Gulf Coast and Florida. Learn more about this workshop series and check back for updates to the schedule as events are finalized at: https://thecoastalsociety.org/margaret-a-davidson-coastal-career-development-program/   

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Coastal News from the Field: Rethinking the Future of Coastal Management

By Ellis Kalaidjian

The year 2021 is over. As we begin 2022 and reflect on 2021, coastal hazards continue to escalate under a changing climate. This past Atlantic hurricane season was the third most active ever recorded and hosted one of the five costliest hurricanes to impact the US, for example. Coastal communities are experiencing more intense storms and planning for sea-level rise to build community resiliency (recording available on this topic from the last TCS Coastal Connections session). Needless to say, the challenges facing coastal management communities are numerous and mounting. As we approach the new year, we must ask ourselves: “How, if at all, are we adapting our coastal management institutions and approaches to meet the constantly-evolving problems we face?”. Duke University’s Dr. Michael Orbach and the University of Washington’s Dr. Marc Miller explore this prudent question in their essay, entitled How Have the U.S. Coasts Changed (and How Are They Going to Change) as Cultural and Policy Spaces? An Example from California, published in December 2021 in the Journal of Coastal Management.

This essay first explores the theoretical concepts of policy and cultural spaces that exist within the coastal zone. As the authors explain, a policy space is a space (geographical, temporal, historical) where societal actions and behaviors are structured by legislation and political activities that directly reflect the values of policymakers and their constituents. A cultural space is a space that is structured by people who are members of a culture—which is defined in terms of shared knowledge and values and “consists of what it is that people know to [coexist with one another]” (p. 4)—in a way that reflects that culture. Both spaces are dynamic; they have lifespans; they are controlled by, among other things, the environment and politics; and they influence each other in often unpredictable ways.

To illustrate these concepts and their interrelatedness, the authors examine the policy and cultural spaces of coastal California over the last 50 years. Prior to World War II, Californian coastal cultures were made up of small, financially modest populations, and existed within intimate, “cozy” landscapes. The authors describe Californian coastal life as slower-paced and “…driven by sea- and coast-dependent industries and interests such as fishing, coastal recreation and tourism, and notably…the proto-typical ‘California Lifestyle’.” (p. 6), which the authors view as being influenced by the “cool, laid-back and casual and free-wheeling” (p. 6) surf culture of the 60s. However, massive economic development and human settlement following WWII changed the cultural space to one that was “…much more dependent on leisure-tourism and other industries such as major universities, aero-space and high-tech.” (p. 6) and inhabited by a more cosmopolitan population.

Changes in coastal Californian political spaces followed in response to the development pressures of the Post-WWII period. The 1970s witnessed a proliferation of federal environmental legislation, such as the passage of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), which induced the birth of state coastal management agencies such as the California Coastal Commission and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the Coastal Management Conference and The Coastal Society. Yet, today, development and political pressures have stymied coastal management in California (and other coastal states) and have overwhelmed the limited resources of coastal public policy and management entities. In the authors’ words: “The special policy space of coastal policy and management as a profession—as with the special cultural space of the coast—has become overshadowed by and submerged in other events and processes.” (p. 8). Corresponding changes in the coastal zone have resulted—for example, the amount of armored coastline in California increased from 26 miles in 1971 to 146 miles in 2018.

The authors conclude the essay with an assessment of future coastal management challenges presented by climate change hazards such as sea-level rise, increasingly frequent severe storms, and so forth. Encroaching sea levels will render certain coastal locales inhabitable, requiring communities and governments to engage in adaptation and planned retreat activities, which will signal the reinvention of coastal cultures and policies. New coastal cultures and management policies will be in a constant state of change and development with continued sea-level rise, which presents uncertainty and challenges unlike the cultural forces at play during the post-WWII period (economic expansion and the environmental movement). In closing, the authors offer coastal management practitioners the following recommendations:

  1. Climate change solutions should draw on expertise beyond that of the usual natural and social sciences, planning, and engineering—for example, the ideas of the humanities, such as environmental philosophy, and professional fields, such as business and activism;
  2. Adaptive management and conflict management strategies in coastal zone management should be revised to include more robust stakeholder engagement and a commitment to social equity and environmental justice; and
  3. Coastal management activities of monitoring natural and social systems and predicting future human impacts should incorporate insights from architects, engineers, and urban designers regarding the planning and future design requirements of adaptation.

Citation:

Orbach, M. K., & Miller, M. L. (2021). How Have the U.S. Coasts Changed (and How Are They Going to Change) as Cultural and Policy Spaces? An Example from California. Coastal Management, doi:10.1080/08920753.2022.2006873.

Disclaimer: This post does not serve as an endorsement of the author’s opinion, nor does it express the views of the Coastal Society.