Working Group V : Tropics recommended for future research
In selecting the topics to be recommended for future research several proposals have been discussed. It was felt that the Group should focus on proposals for research of Mediterranean-wide significance contributing to a better understanding of the interactions between natural processes and socio-economic activities taking place at the land-sea interface, and on marine processes influencing or determining these interactions. Keeping this in mind, and anticipating the recommendations which may come from other working groups, the following research topics are recommended :
1. Interaction of socioeconomic development of the Mediterranean region and the environment, with special emphasis on changes which may be influenced by the predicted global change.
2. Adriatic Sea as a case study for impact of large riverine systems on the Mediterranean Sea.
3. Interaction of general dynamics of Mediterranean water masses with local circulation, and their significance for the Mediterranean Basin.
All three recommended research topics were considered as of Mediterranean-wide interest and therefore should be tackled through a broad and intensive cooperation of scientists from all countries bordering the Sea.

 Issues on which to focus the topics recommended for future research.
The three recommended research topics are broad in scope and are based on wast amount of information from past and ongoing research. Nevertheless, it was felt that certain issues are insufficiently understood or documented, and therefore require further research. Issues recommended to be in the focus of the previously listed research topics are:
- fertilization of coastal areas from land-based sources and resulting eutrophication in many parts of the Mediterranean ;
- river systems, with special reference to the impact of water management on land-sea interaction ;
- effects of land-use policies and practices on coastal and marine ecosystems, with special reference to soil degradation and desertification ;
- potential impact of global change, sea-level change in particular, on coastal and marine environment, socio-economic development, and use of natural resources on sustainable basis.

 Variables to be monitored in the context of topics selected for future research.
The observations and measurements of variables should be in conformity with methodology adopted for large scale global or regional international programs in order to facilitate comparison of results of Mediterranean-wide and global scales. Two type of variables should be taken into account :
a) "marine parameters" as recommended or practiced by programs such as GOOS, MEDPOL and others (e.g., sea-level, waves, temperature, salinity, meteorological data, currents, freshwater inputs, sediment transport and transfer, fluorescence, primary productivity, species composition and abundance) ; and
b) "socio-economic parameters" as recommended or practiced by programs such as the Blue Plan, CAMPs, LOICZ and others (e.g., demographic shifts, agriculture, forests, commerce, land-use, industrial development, urbanization, tourism).

 Capacity building
Capacity building would be essential for the success of the recommended research tropics. It should be achieved through the following main activities :
a) Broad and intensive North-South cooperation and promotion of participation of "southern" and "eastern" institutions and scientists in the proposed research topics.
b) Strengthening of the relevant existing databases (preparation of a "directory" of relevant databases, with information on their contents and how to access them).