Land–ocean interactions in the coastal zone: Past, present & future

Abstract

The Land–ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) project was established in 1993 as a core project of the International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme (IGBP) to provide the science knowledge to answer “How will changes in land use, sea level and climate alter coastal systems, and what are the wider consequences?” In its first phase of operation (1993–2003) LOICZ began a fundamental investigation focused on biophysical dimensions, including seminal assessments of coastal seas as net sources or sinks of atmospheric CO2, river discharge to the oceans, and biogeochemical modelling. In the second generation of LOICZ (2004–2014), increased attention was paid to the human dimensions of the coast, involving the inclusion of cross-cutting themes such as coastal governance, social-ecological systems, ecological economics and activities around capacity building and the promotion of early career scientists. This paper provides a synthesis of this work and looks forward to the future challenges for the project. With the transition to Future Earth, there is a paradigm shift emerging. The new vision is to support transformation to a sustainable and resilient future for society and nature on the coast, by facilitating innovative, integrated and solutions-oriented science. Realising this vision takes LOICZ into a third generation: to be at the forefront of co-designing, co-producing and co-implementing knowledge for coastal resilience and sustainability. LOICZ as Future Earth Coasts will continue to address ‘hotspots’ of coastal vulnerability, focusing on themes of dynamic coasts, human development and the coast, and pathways to global coastal sustainability and constraints thereof.