LOICZ

Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone

As its name implies the Land Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone Core Project is that component of the IGBP that focuses on the area of the Earth's surface where land, ocean and atmosphere meet and interact. The overall goals of LOICZ are to determine at regional and global scales: the nature of this dynamic interaction; how changes in the various compartments of the Earth system are affecting coastal areas and altering their role in global biogeo-chemical cycles; how future environmental changes will affect the use of coastal areas by people; and to provide a sound scientific basis for future integrated management of coastal areas on a sustainable basis.

In comparison with the relatively uniform environment of the sunlight zone of the open ocean, or the rapidly mixed environment of the atmosphere, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the World's coastal zones is considerable. There is therefore a far greater need to involve the global scientific community in this project than in some of the other IGBP projects. In particular the involvement in LOICZ research of the scientific community of coastal specialists in tropical regions is vital if we are to develop a truly global picture of the role of the coastal domain in the functioning of the total Earth system. The view is therefore, that Global Change science cannot be undertaken without global participation.

As a result the LOICZ Scientific Steering Committee has placed a high priority on the development of networks in tropical regions and following approval and publication of the LOICZ Implementation Plan in 1995, LOICZ research has been initiated in Southeast Asia.

Following the MEDIAS/START summer school on Global Change held in Nairobi early in 1995 and to stimulate LOICZ research in Africa, the LOICZ Core Project Office, in collaboration with the Kenyan National Academy of Sciences and the Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research convened a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, from August 7-9. This was attended by 36 scientists from 16 African countries and participants developed two Framework research proposals covering East and West Africa. The East African research programme centres on changing coastal ecosystem health, whilst that for Western Africa centres on sediment budgeting and the consequences in terms of coastal erosion, of reduced sediment discharge from land to ocean. Both projects address the impacts of direct and indirect human use of coastal space and resources on rates of change in coastal systems. Subsequently the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and various research bodies in the Netherlands have expressed interest in further developing the East African Research agenda. It is to be hoped that in the future, support for the West African research programme will be forthcoming.

To foster closer linkages between the LOICZ Project and the African coastal research community Dr Larry Awosika from the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research has recently been appointed as a member of the international Scientific Steering Committee. Under his leadership and with the help of the LOICZ Core Project Office it is hoped that LOICZ research in Africa will receive a boost in 1996.