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Sustainable Coastal and Estuary Management
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Sustainable Coastal and Estuary Management

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Oceans".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 7317

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rhoda Ballinger

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
Interests: coastal policy and management; estuary management; coastal risk management; marine spatial planning at the land–sea interface

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coasts and estuaries are complex, multifunctional, and highly biodiverse environments that have supported human generations from multiple ecosystem services over the centuries. Despite widespread international support for the special emphasis on these environments within the UN’s action plan on sustainability (Agenda 21) over thirty years ago, decades later, coasts and estuaries remain under increasing pressure.  Exacerbated by the potential impacts of climate change, risks are multiple, complex and frequently synergistic and accelerating.  Estuaries are particularly vulnerable, as they are not only hotspots but also conduits of human development and infrastructure, as well as frequently being transboundary and even peripheral in the mindsets of the increasingly urban societies residing along their shores.

This Special Issue is devoted to exploring insights into the sustainability of coasts and estuaries across the world, focusing on governance and management approaches to help deliver more resilient and adaptive coastal and estuary socioecological systems.  Original research articles and reviews are welcome, as are critical analyses of relevant case studies of best practice which have wider application.  

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Developments in and applications of theoretical and management frameworks to support and enable Sustainable Coastal and Estuary Management at a range of scales.
  • Coastal and estuary governance, particularly approaches which address the complexity and interconnectivity of coastal and estuary socioecological systems, including methods and attempts linking coastal and estuary management with marine spatial planning and catchment management.
  • Social aspects of coastal and estuary sustainability, including the influence of sense of place, perceptions, and values on the stewardship, well-being, and meaningful engagement of communities and stakeholders at relevant scales.
  • Opportunities and challenges associated with sustainability and blue energy transitions for coastal and estuary socioecological systems and their management, including approaches informing no-regrets policies across a range of spatial scales. This topic could also include approaches that could deliver transformative change to address the potential inertia imposed by existing infrastructure, policy, and cultural attitudes.

I look forward to receiving your contributions,

Dr. Rhoda Ballinger
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Coastal management
  • Estuary management
  • Governance
  • Sustainability
  • Socioecological systems
  • Community engagement
  • Blue energy transition

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 306 KiB  
Article
Public Willingness to Pay for Interstate Cooperation to Preserve the Ecological Integrity of the Han River Estuary in Korea
by Min-Ki Hyun, Jungho Nam and Seung-Hoon Yoo
Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3572; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093572 - 24 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1187
Abstract
The Han River Estuary (HRE), Yellow Sea, forms part of the border between South Korea and North Korea, and these two countries are militarily hostile. Since the HRE has quite excellent ecological integrity, the task of preserving it well is emerging as important. [...] Read more.
The Han River Estuary (HRE), Yellow Sea, forms part of the border between South Korea and North Korea, and these two countries are militarily hostile. Since the HRE has quite excellent ecological integrity, the task of preserving it well is emerging as important. Thus, the South Korean Government is attempting to preserve the ecological integrity of the HRE through interstate cooperation. By employing contingent valuation, this study delves into South Korean households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for this preservation. One thousand households nationwide were sampled and surveyed through face-to-face individual interviews. Annual household income tax was selected as the payment vehicle. Dichotomous choice questioning was chosen as the WTP induction method. A spike model was selected as a method for modelling a WTP of zero. The main results showed statistical significance. Annual WTP per household and national WTP were obtained as KRW 4487 (USD 3.92) and KRW 125.75 billion (USD 109.83 million), respectively. When a 10-year payment period and a 4.5% discount rate were adopted, the value was KRW 766.14 billion (USD 669.12 million). South Korean households placed considerable value on the preservation of the ecological integrity of the HRE through interstate cooperation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Coastal and Estuary Management)
34 pages, 7406 KiB  
Article
Sediment Quality Indices for the Assessment of Heavy Metal Risk in Nador Lagoon Sediments (Morocco) Using Multistatistical Approaches
by Otman El Ouaty, Abdelmounim El M’rini, Driss Nachite, Elena Marrocchino and Ilaria Rodella
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1921; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051921 - 26 Feb 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1368
Abstract
Heavy metals in coastal ecosystems caused by the increased expansion of urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural practices have become a significant environmental risk to human well-being. This study evaluates and compares 17 sediment quality indices to examine the possible ecological and human health risks [...] Read more.
Heavy metals in coastal ecosystems caused by the increased expansion of urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural practices have become a significant environmental risk to human well-being. This study evaluates and compares 17 sediment quality indices to examine the possible ecological and human health risks associated with heavy metal concentrations in the sediments of the Nador lagoon in Morocco. The concentration order of the HMs and sulfurs evaluated was S > Sr > Ba > V > Zr > Zn > Cr > Rb > La > Cu > Pb > Ni > Ce > Nd > Co > Sc > Nb > Ga > Th > Y > Hf. Sulfurs, Pb, Sr, and Nd exhibited concentrations that exceeded geochemical background values. The analysis of the sediment quality indices allowed us to understand that the Nador lagoon was moderately to strongly polluted by heavy metals originating from various anthropogenic activities. Results from the Sediment Quality Guidelines indicated a toxic response in the benthic organisms within the lagoon, while the ecological hazard analysis revealed a very high risk of heavy metal contamination in the ecosystem. The Hazard Index for non-carcinogenic values was below the limit, suggesting a lack of non-cancerous effects. However, Cu and Pb concentrations surpassed the Lifetime Cancer Risk range, indicating a potential cancer risk with prolonged exposure. Integrating our research into coastal management frameworks can contribute to the preservation and enhancement of these coastal ecosystems for future generations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Coastal and Estuary Management)
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22 pages, 6991 KiB  
Article
Emission, Transport and Retention of Floating Marine Macro-Litter (Plastics): The Role of Baltic Harbor and Sailing Festivals
by Gerald Schernewski, Gabriela Escobar Sánchez, Stefanie Felsing, Margaux Gatel Rebours, Mirco Haseler, Rahel Hauk, Xaver Lange and Sarah Piehl
Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031220 - 31 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1165
Abstract
Every year, harbor and sailing festivals attract close to 20 million visitors in the Baltic Sea region, but their consequences on marine litter pollution are still unknown. We combine field studies with model simulations and literature reviews to quantify the annual emissions of [...] Read more.
Every year, harbor and sailing festivals attract close to 20 million visitors in the Baltic Sea region, but their consequences on marine litter pollution are still unknown. We combine field studies with model simulations and literature reviews to quantify the annual emissions of floating macro-litter and to assess its retention in estuaries and role in Baltic Sea pollution. Results focusing on Hanse Sail in Rostock and Kiel Week are extrapolated to the entire Baltic Sea region. After the Hanse Sail 2018, the harbor pollution amounted to about 950 floating macro-litter particles/km²; 85–90% were plastics. We calculated an emission between 0.24 and 3 particles per 1000 visitors, depending on the year and the waste management system. About 0.02% of all waste generated during a festival ends up in the harbor water. The Hanse Sails contributes less than 1% to the total annual macro-litter emissions in the Warnow estuary. Model simulations indicate that over 99% of the emitted litter is trapped in the estuary. Therefore, Hanse Sails are not relevant to Baltic Sea pollution. The extrapolated Baltic-Sea-wide annual emissions are between 4466 and (more likely) 55,830 macro-litter particles. The over-30 harbor and sailing festivals contribute an estimated <0.05% to the total annual macro-litter emissions in the Baltic Sea region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Coastal and Estuary Management)
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Review

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29 pages, 9277 KiB  
Review
Sustainability of Gulf of Mexico Coastal Estuaries and Lagoons: Interactions with Hydrocarbon Production—A Review with a Look to the Future
by John W. Day, Evelia Rivera-Arriaga, Angelina del Carmen Peña-Puch and Rachael G. Hunter
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8601; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198601 - 3 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1728
Abstract
Here, we review the functioning and importance of deltaic coastal systems in the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico and how petroleum activities have impacted these two important systems. The Mississippi and Usumacinta-Grijalva Deltas are areas of high biological productivity and biodiversity that [...] Read more.
Here, we review the functioning and importance of deltaic coastal systems in the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico and how petroleum activities have impacted these two important systems. The Mississippi and Usumacinta-Grijalva Deltas are areas of high biological productivity and biodiversity that support the two largest fisheries in the Gulf. The north central Gulf receives inflow from the Mississippi river, the largest discharge in North America. The Mississippi Delta covers about 10,000 km2. The Usumacinta-Grijalva River is the second highest freshwater input to the Gulf and discharges to the Usumacinta-Grijalva/Laguna de Terminos deltaic complex. These two areas are the largest petroleum producing regions in the Gulf, involving both inshore and offshore production. Petroleum activities impact coastal ecosystems in two important ways. In inshore areas dominated by coastal wetlands, there has been enormous physical disruption of the natural environment that affected hydrology and system functioning. In both inshore and offshore areas, spilled oil and release of high salinity produced water has led to widespread toxic pollution. Documentation of petroleum activity impacts on coastal marine ecosystems is much more advanced in the Mississippi Delta. Here, we describe how petroleum production impacts coastal ecosystems and discuss how restoration and management can restore the functioning of impacted coastal ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Coastal and Estuary Management)
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20 pages, 1183 KiB  
Review
Climate Impacts on Tangible Coastal Cultural Heritage in the United States: Towards Sustainable and Adaptive Coastal Heritage Management
by Stephen Axon, Anya Chapman and Duncan Light
Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 6800; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16166800 - 8 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1178
Abstract
Climate change is predicted to have severe impacts on coastal communities, including sea level rise, flooding, and coastal erosion, and is expected to reshape many coastlines. One further, and often overlooked, consequence of the climate crisis is the threat posed to cultural heritage [...] Read more.
Climate change is predicted to have severe impacts on coastal communities, including sea level rise, flooding, and coastal erosion, and is expected to reshape many coastlines. One further, and often overlooked, consequence of the climate crisis is the threat posed to cultural heritage sites in the coastal zone. The threat to coastal cultural heritage (CCH) will inevitably impact both tangible (physical and material) and intangible (socio-cultural) components of cultural, historical, and archaeological character along frontline coastal communities. This poses substantial sustainability challenges for stakeholders and decision-makers for the management of cultural heritage assets and for management practices to respond to increasing threats from climate change. This paper uses five illustrative examples based on maximum variation principles to evaluate different strategies (or ‘steering’ processes) for managing coastal heritage resources in the context of climate change. These include the traditional ‘preservationist’ perspective and trajectories based on discontinuity or transformation. We examine these issues with reference to five post-European heritage assets located along the East Coast of the USA. While a consideration of steering processes is important, we argue that it is necessary to also embrace the policies and strategies for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change through which processes of managing CCH unfold. Adopting such a perspective can lead to more nuanced approaches for understanding how CCH can respond to the challenges of a changing climate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Coastal and Estuary Management)
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