Why
highlight observations of coastal ecosystems?
Coasts,
bordering the world’s greatest water bodies, are among
the most important areas in the world to humans, and one
of the most sensitive to anthropogenic impact at local to
global scales. There is a clear need for information on
global and regional change in coastal areas. Collection
of in situ and remote sensing data must be improved and
associated data management, model production and communication
infrastructure developed to provide free and timely information
to developed and developing nations. Hence, the Global Terrestrial
Observing System (GTOS) has developed a Coastal Panel (C-GTOS)
in collaboration with other coastal programmes and international
initiatives.
Development
of a Coastal Observing System
Substantial
progress has been made developing and implementing C-GTOS.
The C-GTOS Strategic Design and Phase 1 Implementation Plan
has been published. This was followed by the initiation
of a full Coastal Panel, endorsed by the GTOS Steering Committee
at its January 2006 meeting. The endorsed Terms of Reference
propose a future joint GTOS/GOOS (Global Ocean Observing
System) Coastal Panel. Development is underway on the five
priority products for the immediate implementation of C-GTOS.
Here we highlight two of these products.
Informatics
and ecosystem services in deltaic systems with respect to
climate change and dam impact
A series
of digital maps is being developed demonstrating informatics
and spatial modelling methods for estimating ecological
functions in deltas. Initial implementation includes the
modelling and mapping of a limited group of deltas and building
a consortium to promote data sharing, international cooperation
and financing. John Kineman (University of Colorado) has
led this work, initiating the World Deltas Network (WDN)
and preliminary activities, working with George Hart and
Jim Coleman (Louisiana State University) and the Global
Land Cover Network (GLCN).
Achievements
include:
1. The launch
of the WDN website by Kineman, and the development of the
World Deltas Database (WDD), designed by Hart, which incorporates
data from Coleman, Brau, Hart and Hu.
2. An initial
study of 12 deltas using geophysical analysis to produce
delta extent maps (see WDN website).
3. A pilot
study for the Nile Delta, Egypt, is underway, including
mosaicking of satellite data from three decades of data
collection (1980, 1990 and 2000). These datasets will be
made available for download from the WDN website.
4. Preliminary
analysis of ecosystem services and vulnerability in the
Nile Delta is underway, using the Land Cover Classification
System (LCCS) of FAO and UNEP.
Management
of coastal zone conservation and cultural sites
A sustained
network of in situ monitoring sites is required to support
regional and global coastal observing systems. C-GTOS will
address this need through identification and support of
relevant existing monitoring initiatives occurring at coastal
sites with conservation or cultural value.
Activities
include:
1. Publication
of a framework paper on the development of sustainable network
of coastal observation sites of conservation and cultural
significance.
2. Preliminary
identification of networks and location of potentially suitable
individual sites.
3. Collaboration
with the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention to establish
pilot projects at a number of Ramsar sites of in countries
bordering the Mediterranean. The GTOS Secretariat held a
side event on Building bridges between observing systems
and international conventions in coastal areas at Ramsar
COP 9.
Changes
in night-time lights from 1992-93 to 2000 for Italy
SOURCE: Chris Elvidge of NOAA.
KEY:
Cyan = background – no lights and
offshore (land/sea mask applied).
Black = bright lights detected in both
time periods (at or near saturation).
Red = Lights much brighter in 2000.
Yellow = New lights in 2000.
Light grey = Dim lighting detected in both
time periods – little change in brightness.
Blue = Lights dimmer or missing in 2000
(relative to 1992-93).
C-GTOS
Objectives
The
Expert Panel also identified initial short-term objectives
and the products needed to establish the monitoring process.
An initial narrow range of discrete elements have been selected
to structure early activities of C-GTOS, namely:
1. Develop
an inventory of sites appropriate for observations and analyses
of delivery of water, solids and nutrients to coastal waters.
2. Construct
a functional typology of the coast and evaluate the distribution
of functional units. This recognizes that different environmental
issues may have unique zones of influence on observed responses.
3. Integrate
and improve the World Resources Institute Earth Trends coastal
habitat maps and link them to land use and land cover.
4. Determine
and analyse the distribution of coastal population, urbanization
and land use, and their effects in the coastal zone.
5. Determine
and analyse the distribution of conservation and cultural
sites in the coastal zone.
These short-term products are designed to provide clear
evidence of the value of C-GTOS. Longer-term products will
then be developed once a community of observing sites is
established and users become more engaged.
Members
of the C-GTOS Expert Panel
Martin ADRIAANSE
Dan BAIRD
Robert E. BOWEN
Peter BURBRIDGE
Robert R. CHRISTIAN
David M. CLARK
Stephen John DE MORA
Paul M. DIGIACOMO
Jorge JIMÉNEZ
Dale KIEFER
John KINEMAN
Michael K. ORBACH
Liana TALAUE-MCMANUS
Pierluigi VIAROLI
Helen YAP
