MR3511: MANAGING OUR COASTS AND SEAS (2014-2015)

Sustainable use of marine and coastal areas is rapidly growing in scientific, political and practical importance in the UK, Europe and around the world. Demands on the marine and coastal environment are increasing in intensity and new and more informed policy responses are required as a result. Their development increasingly requires consideration of social, economic and environmental concerns; for example, coastal and marine spatial planning is currently regarded as of one of the most important approaches to coastal management in the future especially in light of climate change and growing development pressures.

This module aims to provide the knowledge and skills needed to develop policy, implement planning, manage marine and coastal environments, and undertake scientific research. The course adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of marine and coastal environments around the world, and includes aspects of science, policy, sociology, economics, planning, archaeology, and law. It is suitable for students from a wide range of different backgrounds including Geography, Marine and Coastal Resource Management Spatial Planning students, Geology, Planning, Archaeology, the Marine Sciences, and other disciplines. The focus of the course is mainly on coursework with some student-based learning and therefore offers a range of vital skills for employment.

The course is taught through a series of lectures and directed reading. It aims to familiarise students with the marine and coastal environment, its importance and use, the need for management, together with the potential for resource-based conflicts arising in coastal and marine areas. It also introduces the mechanisms (e.g. social, legal, political, scientific, and economic) available to resolve such conflicts. The course is divided into three distinct sections: Contextual Setting; Approaches to Management; and Exploring the Marine and Coastal Environment. Topics considered include: the history and principles of coastal management, the role of various regulatory bodies, pressures on the coast, coastal policy at the federal, national, regional and local scales, capacity building,  and approaches to coastal zone management in the UK, Europe, North America, Australia, and other parts of the world, including marine and Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP); the marine and coastal resource and its use; the physical environment and form of the coast; data and information for monitoring, mapping, modelling and visualising the coastal and marine environment. The need for links between science and policy also are examined, as well as the need for communication and stakeholder involvement.   The management of the marine and coastal environment is explored through the perspectives of Engineering, Conservation and Planning, introducing some of the different ways sought to utilise and manage these environments. A number of current issues and problems are explored: including marine renewables, maritime transport, maritime archaeology, and coastal and marine hazards as examples of the current and growing use of the marine and coastal environment, the problems and issues, impacts, adaptation to climate change, and management solutions.

This course cannot be included in a graduating curriculum with MR 4501 (Level 4 version).

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

View MR3511 Timetable

More Information about Week Numbers

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (100%). The assessment for the module will be based on a web-based electronic exercise to be completed and submitted online. This will include a combination of written material (50%), presentational material (25%), and practical material (25%). Resit: Resubmission of failed coursework components, with mark for those components to be capped at CAS 9.

A number of class-based exercises will provide the students with non-assessed assessment of their progress in relation to the assessed exercises making up the 50%.

Both verbal and written feedback will be provided for both the formative and summative assessments.

None.