This research-oriented course examines coastal environments from the standpoint of the use of science in management of shoreline resources. The course will be of interest to students in geography, geology, ecology and coastal sciences and in disciplines related to environmental management, environmental ethics and the newly-emerging field of science, technology and society. Students who have taken courses in any earth science, bioscience or environmental science course will have sufficient background preparation. Course material includes identification and discussion of the process of conversion of the shoreline by direct and indirect human actions and the resulting appearance, evolution and function of the coastal landscape. This information is then used to provide a basis for environmental debate and an approach to management of endangered living and non-living resources. Case studies are used to illustrate coastal management practices and the scientific, technical, and social constraints to the application of science to policy formulation. The focus of the course material is on beaches and dunes because human alterations to these features are so prevalent and visible in the coastal zone.

The first half of the course will be devoted to identifying the relationship between theoretical concepts and management needs through a combination of assigned readings, lectures and classroom discussions of environmental dilemmas. The mid-term exam is a problem-oriented paper on an issue in shoreline management and will require students to use course material in a new framework. The second half of the course will be devoted to individual student research on an original research project, culminating in a well-written term paper, documented using original data and primary references.

Evaluations of course grades will be based on the following:

Completion of reading assignments (5%)

Take-home mid-term examination (30%)

Working bibliography (5%)

Presentation of results of individual research - oral presentation and outline (20%)

Term paper on an original research problem of personal interest (40%)

• To obtain a sufficient working knowledge of shoreline management problems to be able to take an active role in making decisions.

• To appreciate the complexity of these problems and their solutions.

• To appreciate the level of scientific understanding and constraints to the application of science.

• To understand the differences between the many operating modes of a scientist, including empirical scientist, academic scholar, environmental advocate and private citizen.

• To foster critical, analytical and creative thinking.

• To evaluate complex problems.

• To realize that questions may be more important than answers.

• To gain confidence in conducting individual, original research.

• To present findings in a concise, informative way.

• To write well and in a scientific style.

September 5: Introduction to applied science in coastal management

September 12: Coastal processes (Komar 1983)

September 19: Evolution of developed shorelines

Human values and social science inputs (Cutter et al. 1979)

Creating human landscapes and landforms (Meyer-Arendt 1993)

September 26: Buildings and protection structures (Nersesian et al. 1992; Pope 1997)

October 3: Beach nourishment (Houston 1996; Peterson et al. 2000)

October 10: Field trip to Perth Amboy (during class hours) (Tunstall 2000)

October 17: Aeolian processes and dune management (Mauriello 1989; Nordstrom et al. 2000)

Discussion of student research projects

October 24: Field trip to Cliffwood Beach (during class hours) (Thornton and Jackson 1998)

Take-home exam assigned

October 31: Estuarine shorelines and wetlands (Nordstrom 1989; Jackson 1996)

Bibliographies due

November 7: Study design and research methods

Guidelines for student presentations and term papers

Take-home exam due

November 14: Student presentations

November 28: Student presentations

December 5: Student presentations

December 12: Student presentations

December 14: Term papers due

Criteria for evaluating mid-term exam and term paper

Critical and analytical thinking (25%)

Knowledge of important processes and relationship to landscape (25%)

Citing literature in context (25%)

Communicating effectively and writing well (25%)

These assignments are designed to complement lectures by providing technical information and assessments in a specific problem-solving context. The readings are to be assessed in terms of: 1) questions I will ask that are designed to facilitate discussion in class; 2) specific purposes of the author that will cause you to become familiar with scientific writing and how to evaluate it; and 3) what the article means to you that will allow you to see the relationship between the work of others and your own work and help you see how to document your research results with reference to the literature. The reading assignments also will be useful in completing the mid-term exam. You are expected to respond to each question in one to three sentences, based on your comprehension of the readings. Hand-written responses will only be considered for full credit if they are handed in prior to discussions, and no late responses will be accepted for credit. Copies of readings are located in Chang Library, the IMCS undergraduate reading room (103A) and on electronic reserve.

Cutter, S.L., K.F. Nordstrom and G.A. Kucma. 1979. Social and environmental factors influencing beach site selection. Proceedings, Fifth Annual Conference of the Coastal Society. Arlington, VA: The Coastal Society. 183-194.

Komar, P.D. 1983. Beach processes and erosion - an introduction. In: P.D. Komar ed., Handbook of Coastal Processes and Erosion. FL: CRC Press. 1-20.

Houston, J.R. 1996. Engineering practice for beach-fill designs. Shore and Beach 64 (3): 27-35.

Jackson, N.L. 1996. Stabilization on the shoreline of Raritan Bay, New Jersey. In Nordstrom, K.F. and Roman, C.T. eds, Estuarine Shores: Evolution, Environments and Human Alterations. Chichester: John Wiley, 397-420.

Mauriello, M.N. 1989. Dune maintenance and enhancement: a New Jersey example. Coastal Zone 89. New York: American Society of Civil Engineers, 1023-1037.

Meyer-Arendt, K.J. 1993. Geomorphic impacts of resort evolution along the Gulf of Mexico coast; applicability of resort cycle models. In Wong, P.P. ed., Tourism vs Environment: the Case for Coastal Areas. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 125-138.

Nersesian, G.K., Kraus, N.C. and Carson, F.C. 1992. Functioning of groins at Westhampton Beach, Long Island, New York. Coastal Engineering: Proceedings of the Twenty-third Coastal Engineering Conference. New York: American Society of Civil Engineers, 3357-3370.

Nordstrom, K.F. 1989. Erosion control strategies for bay and estuarine beaches. Coastal Management 17: 25-35.

Nordstrom, K.F., R. Lampe and L.M. Vandemark. 2000. Re-establishing naturally-functioning dunes on developed coasts. Environmental Management, 25: 37-51.

Peterson, S.H., D.H.M. Hickerson and G.G. Johnson. 2000. Short-term consequences of nourishment and bulldozing on the dominant large invertebrates of a sandy beach. Journal of Coastal Research 16: 368-378.

Pope, J. 1997. Responding to coastal erosion and flooding damages. Journal of Coastal Research 13: 704-710.

Thornton, L. and N.L. Jackson. 1998. Spatial and temporal variations in debris accumulation and composition on an estuarine shoreline, Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey, USA. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 36: 705-711.

Tunstall, S. 2000. Public perceptions of the environmental changes to the Thames Estuary in London, UK. Journal of Coastal Research 16: 269-277.