Covers Maine, Rhode Island and Washington State.

This report identifies governmental actions that can lead to effective management of coastal resources and strenghtening the national capacity for effective coastal resources management through Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). This is a system for controlling development and other human activities that effect the condition of economic resources and the quality of environment in coastal zones. The overall objective of ICZM is to provide for sustainable use of coastal natural resources and for maintenance of biodiversity. Environmentally planned development is reputed to add to economic and social prosperity of a coastal community in the long term. The orientation of the report is toward developing countries, particularly those of the coastal tropics. Fisheries productivity, increased tourism revenus, sustained mangrove forestry, and security from natrual hazard devastation are among the practical benefits of ICZM. ICZM incorporates modern principles of planning and resources management, intensive information bases an interdisciplinary processes. A major objective is to facilitate the interactions of different coastal economic sectors (e.g., shipping, agriculturte, fisheries) toward potimal socio-econopmic outcomes, including resolution of conflicts between sectors. ICZM may be initiated in response to a planning mandate but more often because of a crisis - a use conflict, a severe decline in a resource, or a devasting experience with natural hazards.

In this new and highly original textbook for a range of interdisciplinary courses and degree programmes focusing on marine and coastal resource management, readers are offered an introduction to the subject matter, a broad perspective and understanding, case study applications, and a reference source. Each chapter is written by an international authority and expert in the respective field, providing perspectives from physical and human geography, marine biology and fisheries, planning and surveying, law, technology, environmental change, engineering, and tourism. In addition to an overview of the theory and practice of its subject area, many chapters include detailed case studies to illustrate the applications, including relationships to decision-making requirements at local, regional, and national levels. Each chapter also includes a list of references for further reading, with a selection of key journal papers and URLs. Overall, this volume provides a key textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate courses and for the coastal or marine practitioner, as well as a long-term reference for students.