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Making the Link
Making the Link By Liette Vasseur Remote Sensing Solutions to Monitor Biotic and Abiotic Dynamics in Coastal Ecosystems
Managing Adaptation to Changing Climate in Coastal Zones
Andrea Taramelli, Emiliana Valentini and Loreta Cornacchia
Daniel Lane, Colleen Mercer Clarke, John D. Clarke, Michelle Mycoo and Judith Gobin
Understanding the transitional coastal zone can be daunting. Many components of the ecosystem cannot be measured one by one at the local scale due to their required financial, human, and time resources. Remote sensing can provide a great tool to analyze the changing patterns of such complex systems. Taramelli et al. have summarized in their chapter the usefulness of combining remote sensing with LIDAR and other geospatial techniques to examine coastal changes. Through case studies, they have demonstrated how changes can be detected over time. Using these techniques, they can show changes in vegetation patterns, which are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions such as salinity. The advancement of these new geospatial techniques represents another opportunity for communities to document changes over historical to present times, especially as related to sea-level rise and impacts on coastal ecosystems. In the next chapter, Lane et al. introduce a large international project targeting several coastal communities in Canada and the Caribbean. They describe the many challenges faced by communities from the environment, policy, and research viewpoints. Their research challenges connect very well with the previous chapter, as both chapters show the need to acquire baseline data and information with which communities can discuss their experiences and concerns. The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” reflects well the experience presented in both chapters as well as several previous ones in this book (e.g., Chapters 2 and 3): through computational techniques or drawings from local people, changes of coastal zones can be documented. The next chapter also reemphasizes the need to connect researchers and communities to find more lasting solutions that can be readily acceptable for local communities.
139
Managing Adaptation to Changing Climate in Coastal Zones
Andrea Taramelli, Emiliana Valentini and Loreta Cornacchia
Daniel Lane, Colleen Mercer Clarke, John D. Clarke, Michelle Mycoo and Judith Gobin
Understanding the transitional coastal zone can be daunting. Many components of the ecosystem cannot be measured one by one at the local scale due to their required financial, human, and time resources. Remote sensing can provide a great tool to analyze the changing patterns of such complex systems. Taramelli et al. have summarized in their chapter the usefulness of combining remote sensing with LIDAR and other geospatial techniques to examine coastal changes. Through case studies, they have demonstrated how changes can be detected over time. Using these techniques, they can show changes in vegetation patterns, which are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions such as salinity. The advancement of these new geospatial techniques represents another opportunity for communities to document changes over historical to present times, especially as related to sea-level rise and impacts on coastal ecosystems. In the next chapter, Lane et al. introduce a large international project targeting several coastal communities in Canada and the Caribbean. They describe the many challenges faced by communities from the environment, policy, and research viewpoints. Their research challenges connect very well with the previous chapter, as both chapters show the need to acquire baseline data and information with which communities can discuss their experiences and concerns. The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” reflects well the experience presented in both chapters as well as several previous ones in this book (e.g., Chapters 2 and 3): through computational techniques or drawings from local people, changes of coastal zones can be documented. The next chapter also reemphasizes the need to connect researchers and communities to find more lasting solutions that can be readily acceptable for local communities.
139