Over recent years coastal zones have become the focus of much attention at the global level. Their rich resources mean that they have long been important centres of trade and commerce. A large proportion of the world’s population also live on the coast. Given the importance of coastal and marine areas in both conservation and development terms, there is increasing concern about the effects of e...

The coastal wetland ecosystems are important in the global carbon and nitrogen cycle and global climate change. For higher fragility of coastal wetlands induced by human activities, the roles of coastal wetland ecosystems in CH4 and N2O emissions are becoming more important. This study used a DNDC model to simulate current and future CH4 and N2O emissions of coastal wetlands in four sites along...

The coastal zones globally are under increasing pressure from often competing human uses, such as aquaculture, sea transport, energy production, conservation, fishing, and recreation (Turner and Schaafsma 2015). Climate change causing sea level rise, warming and acidification, put additional pressures on coastal zones and management (Nicholls and Cazenave 2010). Traditionally; state, regional a...

Current and projected heat waves are examined over California and its sub-regions in observations and downscaled global climate model (GCM) simulations. California heat wave activity falls into two distinct types: (1) typically dry daytime heat waves and (2) humid nighttime-accentuated events (Type I and Type II, respectively). The four GCMs considered project Type II heat waves to intensify mo...

A physically based distributed hydrological model, MIKE SHE, was used to evaluate the effects of altered temperature and precipitation regimes on the streamflow and water table in a forested watershed on the southeastern Atlantic coastal plain. The model calibration and validation against both streamflow and water table depth showed that the MIKE SHE was applicable for predicting the streamflow...

Since coastal tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of tourism industry, coastal areas have become increasingly vulnerable in case of flooding. Yet, coastal tourism is a seasonal phenomenon, with variations according to climate, holiday seasons and seasonal traditions. Despite its relevance in environmental issues, the effects of seasonal tourism have only scarcely been studied in coast...

Global climate change poses challenges to areas such as low-lying coastal zones, where sea level rise (SLR) and storm-surge overwash events can have long-term effects on vegetation and on soil and groundwater salinities, posing risks of habitat loss critical to OPEN ACCESS J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2015, 3 1150 native species. An early warning system is urgently needed to predict and prepare for the co...

This study provides an assessment of local government progress in adaptation to marine climate change in Australia's coastal communities. Globally, coastal communities are vulnerable to a diversity of marine climate change impacts, and adaptation responses will need to be tailored to suit each unique socioecological situation. The responsibility of adaptation planning is largely placed on munic...

A simple total water level (TWL) model is employed to investigate the relative importance of various climate controls on the potential for an increased probability of coastal erosion and flooding on sandy beaches of the US Pacific Northwest. Model results suggest that if decadal-scale increases in storm intensity (wave height) continue into the future, this process will have a greater impact on...