The Beach Like You Have Never Seen It Before: The Challenge Of Ecosystem-Based Management Of Beaches And Coastal Areas

A global oceanography capacity strategy demands the development of appropriate methods that can be applied in diverse contexts and in different locations, in a complementary and comparable way. With the increased importance of involving stakeholders in coastal planning and management, these methods should also consider the involvement of non-scientists in data gathering and monitoring programs to inform and promote adaptive management. The research group on Coastal Management of the University of São Paulo created a working group consisting of professors, under- and postgraduate students that approach coastal conservation from a socio-ecological point of view, considering the Agenda 2030 of the Sustainable Development Goals. One objective of this project is to produce a book on the application of ecosystem-based management in the coastal zone, with a special focus on beach management. The book will translate the Ecosystem-based Management theory, exploring strategies and opportunities, discussing threats to ecosystem services, applying the concept for different scales and levels, seeking ways to promote marine spatial planning and the interface between science and public policy. The book will have a conceptual part and will present examples of how to obtain and apply data (methodological guide) to beach spatial planning, considering an ecosystem based approach. The target audience are managers, civil servants, decision makers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers and others interested in the subject. The aim is to incentivize participative management in coastal regions, bringing scientists and managers closer, using simple methods at low costs that can be applied in any other region and foster a network for beach management, looking to integrate the coastal environment into global marine spatial planning initiatives.