Coastal Ocean Assessment for Sustainability and Transformation

In this project, Coastal Ocean Assessment for Sustainability and Transformation (COAST Card) we will carry out an assessment of the sustainability and the potential transformation of coastal ocean areas in the USA, the Philippines, Japan and India. The purpose of this project is to develop globally applicable principles for the transformation of such areas with an emphasis on sustainability. For this purpose, a transdicisiplinary approach is taken, incorporating natural and social sciences. In this project it is deemed pivotal that a variety of stakeholders are being engaged in the development of guidelines for the management of such marine areas. The project will provide a mechanism for regular reporting and accounting of global change impacts through the indicators that are monitored and reported periodically The project is financed by five national science foundations coordinated by the Belmont Forum and is managed by the University of Maryland, MD, USA. The scientific pillars constitute the interdisciplinary approach taken; 1) status assessment through a report card process, 2) societal guidance provided through social network analysis and engagement, and 3) prioritized actions identified with system dynamics model. The Norwegian component of this 4 year project is financed by the NRF (3 years) in collaboration with the University of Bergen (1 year). It is composed of 4 phases; 1) a development phase focused on Chesapeake Bay, USA, 2) a pilot in the Philippines, 3) a capacity building phase in Japan, and 4) an expansion and transformation phase in India. The University of Bergen contributes to this project with the development of system dynamics models for the purpose of (1) modeling, simulation and the analysis of Coastal Ocean Areas, (2) the development and assessment of policies governing the transformation of such areas; and (3) the development and deployment of web-based means of communication by way of interactive learning environments.

The Coastal Ocean Assessment for Sustainability and Transformation (COAST Card) approach is an innovative program that is both transnational and transdisciplinary. The COAST Card project comprises four interacting teams: 1) a leadership team, 2) an engagement team, 3) a dissemination team and 4) an evaluation team. The 4 year COAST Card project is divided into 4 phases: 1) A development phase focused on Chesapeake Bay, USA, 2) A pilot on Manila Bay, Boracay and Busuanga, Philippines, 3) A capacity building phase on Tokyo Bay, Ishigaki Is. & Sekisei Lagoon, Japan, 4) An expansion and transformation phase on the Goa coast, India. The COAST Card project offers a novel integration of three independently developed tools, 1) status assessment through a report card process, 2) societal guidance provided through social network analysis and engagement, and 3) prioritized actions identified with system dynamics model. The value of an international team of developed and developing countries and a diverse suite of stakeholders, is in our ability to develop transformative solutions that will have global applicability. The transdisciplinary approach of incorporating social science skills with natural science skills, involving practitioners in ecosystem management and engaging with key stakeholders is an absolute necessity for the co-production of a COAST Card. This process will pioneer ways to provide effective guidance to people with marine environmental concerns. The users have been true partners in developing the COAST Card program objectives and motivation. Ongoing stakeholder engagement is a key part of this program. COAST Cards will; provide a mechanism for regular reporting and accounting of global change impacts through the indicators that are monitored and reported periodically; be useful for governmental and NGO resource managers; and be helpful for productive stakeholder engagement. They will stimulate researchers to develop better metrics and tools for management.