Information & Meetings
	Conferences & Events
	Coastal Publications
	Courses
	Vacancies

Organisations
	New hyperlinks

Biodiversity
	UNEP Biodiversity Atlas provides gloomy picture
	Conservation of Baltic coastal algae needs integrated approach

Environment
	Comprehensive assessment on endocrine disruptors out
	Harmful air emissions from maritime ships on the rise
	Seal virus continues to cause damage

Development & Trends
	Swiss Re shows how to manage the effects of climate change

Policy
	European Directive on safety of maritime traffic signed
	European Maritime Safety Agency soon up and running

Events recently announded

Vacancies

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Database Specialist

The Coastal Resources Centre, University College Cork is seeking an individual with a background in spatial database design and implementation to join a team that is developing a web-enabled, GIS-integrated, marine data management and dissemination system utilising high performance computing (HPC) networks. The work is funded under the HEA PRTL Cycle III and will be carried out in collaboration between the Coastal Resources Centre, University College Cork (UCC) and the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). The researcher will be based in the Coastal Resources Centre, UCC. The successful candidate should have a PhD, ideally in a marine science/technology related field involving the management and dissemination of high volume heterogeneous geospatial data. Programming and web-skills will be a distinct advantage. The appointment will be for a three-year period with a starting salary of approximately EUR 28K, depending on experience.
Please forward all applications and requests for further information to Gerry Sutton, e-mail: g.sutton@ucc.ie, Coastal Resources Centre (CRC), http://www.ucc.ie/research/crc/

Marine Conservation Society: Good Beach Guide Officer

The Marine Conservation Society MCS is seeking a Good Beach Guide Officer to promote a better public understanding of the water quality issues that affect our coastal environment. The post holder will be responsible for the research, production and launch of the MCS Good Beach Guide 2003. This will involve liaison with beach managers, water companies and government agencies to compile information on bathing water quality and sewage outfalls from all UK beaches. The post holder will also organise the launch of the Guide to the media and respond to media and public enquiries about bathing water quality. The post is for an initial period of 10 months with a high potential for extension. The post is available immediately and the successful candidate will be required to take up post by the end of September 2002.
Send applications until August 30, 2002 to: Mrs Sam Fanshawe, Director of Conservation, Marine Conservation Society, 9 Gloucester Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5BU, e-mail: Sam@mcsuk.org, tel: 01989-566017, fax: -567815, http://www.mcsuk.org

New hyperlinks

Defend the Dunes
http://www.defendthedunes.org.uk
To protect and enhance the remaining coastal sand dunes in the part of the North-Western English county of Lancashire which is known as the Fylde

PANGAEA
http://www.pangaea.de
Network for Geological and Environmental Data

UNEP Biodiversity Atlas provides gloomy picture

The first 'World Atlas of Biodiversity: Earth's Living Resources for the 21st Century' by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) was launched earlier this month. It is the first comprehensive map-based view of global biodiversity and provides facts and figures on the importance of forests, wetlands, marine and coastal environments and other key ecosystems. By using maps to show the location of plants and animals, it draws together the work of researchers across the world who have identified particularly rich or vulnerable areas. The atlas graphically reveals humankind's alteration of the natural world. During the past 150 years, humans have directly impacted close to 47 percent of the global land area, the atlas shows. Humans now capture more than 40 % of the world's plant and marine growth - leaving an estimated 7 million wild species to compete for the remainder. Under one scenario, biodiversity will be threatened on almost 72 percent of Earth's land area by 2032.
Press release and interactive maps from the atlas are available at: http://www.unep-wcmc.org

Conservation of Baltic coastal algae needs integrated approach

In view of the severe decline of stoneworts (Charophyta) along the German Baltic Sea coast, an effective conservation programme has to provide more than the preservation of the remaining populations. A careful restoration of eutrophicated coastal water courses formerly harbouring rich populations of the plant is the only way to ensure the long-term survival of this group of algae and its associated fauna. This integrated view on species conservation is voiced by the authors of the survey on distribution, threats and conservation of stoneworts in the Southern Baltic Sea, published in the July edition of "Natur und Landschaft". Until 1970, stoneworts were not uncommon in the region, but in later years, most stands declined dramatically under pressure from euthrophication, tourism and motorboat traffic.
More information from one of the authors, Dr Mohamed A.M. Yousef, e-mail: mamyousef@aol.com

Comprehensive assessment on endocrine disruptors out

The new report from the International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS) "Global Assessment of the state-of-the-science of endocrine disruptors (EDCs)" reviews available literature in an attempt to answer whether chemicals which have the potential to interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system are threatening the health of humans, wildlife and the environment. With respect to wildlife, exposure to organochlorines (PCBs, DDE) has been shown to adversely impact the reproductive and immune function in Baltic seals, resulting in marked population declines, the study notes. Eggshell thinning and altered gonadal development have been observed in birds of prey exposed to DDT, resulting in severe population decline. There is extensive evidence that chemical constituents present in pulp and paper mill effluents and sewage treatment effluents can affect reproductive endocrine function and contribute to alteration in reproductive development in fish. Exposure of marine gastropods to TBT from antifouling paints provides the clearest example in invertebrates of an endocrine-mediated adverse effect caused by exposure to a contaminant. Overall, the biological plausibility of possible damage to certain human functions (particularly reproductive and developing systems) from exposure to EDCs seems strong when viewed against the background of known influences of endogenous and exogenous hormones on many of these processes. There is sufficient evidence for endocrine-mediated effects to warrant concerns, the study concludes. The IPCS is sponsored by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Program and the International Labor Organization. This assessment was requested in 1997 by the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety, the 1997 Declaration of the Environment Leaders of the Eight on Children's Environmental Health, and endorsed by the 50th World Health Assembly in 1997. More than 60 international scientific experts contributed to the report either as IPCS Steering Group Members, chapter leaders, authors or reviewers.
The study is available in full at: http://www.who.int/pcs/emerg_site/edc/global_edc_TOC.htm

Harmful air emissions from maritime ships on the rise

Maritime traffic contributes significantly to overall emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in Europe. These pollutants contribute to the problems of regional acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone formation. While action is being taken to reduce land-based sources of these pollutants, the contribution from shipping continues to increase. These and other results of new studies on ship emissions in the Mediterranean Sea (prepared by Lloyds) and on the economic, legal, environmental and practical implications of a EU system to reduce ship emissions of SO2 and NOx (developed by BMT) can be accessed from http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/background.htm#transport;
EU Air Quality: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/index.htm

Seal virus continues to cause damage

The total number of registered dead seals in the Skagerrak-Kattegat area that are victims of the seal virus (phocine distemper virus, pdv) is more than 3970, and about 482 in the Netherlands.
Further info: Status Reports on Dead Seals in the Danish and Swedish Kattegat/Skagerrak Area and in the Wadden Sea in 2002: http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org/news/news/Seals/01-seal-news.html, http://www.minlnv.nl/infomart/dossiers/zeehond/infidz03.pdf, http://www.mu.niedersachsen.de/Nationalparke/seehundsterben.pdf (in German)

Swiss Re shows how to manage the effects of climate change

"Opportunities and risks of climate change", a new study by Swiss Re, one of the world's biggest insurer of insurers, treats climate change as a fact and concludes: "If climate change accelerates, and we fail to adapt to it in time, we will lose a degree of safety and prosperity. This is the risk. If we learn to manage our natural resources responsibly and adapt readily and intelligently to the constant change in the decisive factors, we can maintain and even enhance safety and prosperity. This is the inherent opportunity of climate change." One of the examples given are innovative measures to prepare for the risks of floods. The publication shows how the forecasts of climate research can be broken down into practical measures, and thus aims to make the concrete effects of climate change visible.
The study is available on http://www.swissre.com

European Directive on safety of maritime traffic signed

The Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system aims at enhancing the safety and efficiency of maritime traffic, improving the response of authorities to incidents, accidents or potentially dangerous situations at sea, and contributing to a better prevention and detection of pollution from ships. It stipulates that Member States shall monitor and take all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure that the masters, operators or agents of ships, as well as shippers or owners of dangerous or polluting goods carried on board such ships, comply with the requirements of the Directive, which applies to ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards but not to fishing vessels, traditional ships and recreational craft of a length of less than 45 meters.
The Directive is online at http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/oj/2002/l_20820020805en.html

European Maritime Safety Agency soon up and running

Recently, the Council and the European Parliament signed "Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency". The Agency has the purpose of ensuring a high, uniform, and effective level of maritime safety and prevention of pollution by ships within the Community. It shall provide the Member States and the Commission with the technical assistance need and with a high level of expertise, in order to help them to apply Community legislation properly in the field of maritime safety and prevention of pollution by ships, to monitor its implementation and to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures in place. The Agency shall be operational within the next 10 months.
The Directive is published on http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/dat/2002/l_208/l_20820020805en00010009.pdf

Deadline for submitting contributions to Coastal Guide News No 17: 4 September, 2002

COASTAL GUIDE NEWS is a biweekly newsletter published by the EUCC - The Coastal Union with financial support of Stichting DOEN, the foundation of the Dutch lottery "Postcode Loterij" and the Department of International Nature Affairs of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries. For free subscriptions, comments or contributions to this newsletter, please contact news@coastalguide.org. 

Members of the Coastal Guide News editorial team: Erik Devilee, Marijke Kooijman, Irene Lucius, Piet Lansbergen, Hanneke Mesters, Albert Salman.
 

Established in 1989, the EUCC - The Coastal Union is an association involving the largest coastal network in Europe with 750 members and member organisations in 40 countries. For more information please contact EUCC International Secretariat, POBox 11232, NL-2301 EE Leiden, the Netherlands, tel.: +31-71-5122900, internet: http://www.eucc.nl
 

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