Winter 2006

The edge The magazine of CoastNET

Interpreting coastal futures

Artificial reefs

UK renewables

Winter 2006

Marine species and climate change

Contents 3

Editorial

4

News

6

Interpreting coastal futures Tim O’Riordan and Jessica Milligan from the University of East Anglia consider the possible future scenarios for our coastal communities.

8

The accidental ecologists George Steinbach, Executive Director of the

CoastNET – breathing new life into coastal matters

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Winter 2005

Climate change and the coast The edge is a quarterly magazine, sent out to all CoastNET members. CoastNET is an international networking organisation that works with all coastal interests to promote the exchange of ideas, information and expertise to find long term solutions to coastal problems that benefit all. Our mission is to safeguard the world’s coast and those communities of people and wildlife that depend upon it for their future. Editor: Lesley Smeardon [email protected] Designed by: Cottier & Sidaway Printed by: Gildenburgh Ltd Submissions To submit an article for publication, please email to the editor saving your submission as a word document. Alternatively, send to the address below. Letters can be sent to the editor but we are unable to acknowledge receipt. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions.

California Artificial Reef Enhancement Program, takes a closer look at the controversy caused by the artificial reefs inadvertently created by offshore oil and gas platforms in the US state of California.

10 Into the Blue Switching the UK energy debate away from nuclear for a moment, Michael Hay from the British Wind Energy Association reviews the latest from UK wind, wave and tidal technologies.

10 12 A sea of change With rising sea levels and temperatures, researchers at the Marine Biological Association discuss their research on species changes in our UK coastal waters.

CoastNET: The Gatehouse, Rowhedge Wharf, High St, Rowhedge, Essex, CO5 7ET. Tel/Fax: 01206 728644 Email: [email protected] Web: www.coastnet.org.uk

14 Groundworks A regular look at the work of coastal partnerships

CoastNet is governed by an independent Board of Management and serviced by a Secretariat. Registered charity no 1055763 Registered as a company limited by guarantee, company no 3204452

15 Webwise A round up of the some of the best sites on the web for climate change

The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of CoastNET. © CoastNET, 2006

16 CoastNET events

22 The TheEdge edge Winter Winter2006 2006

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Editorial At the end of November, the UK Government announced a review of the need for new nuclear power generating capacity to fill an energy gap which, it is claimed, cannot be filled through other non-carbon generation technologies.

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t about the same time we heard of the significant slowing down of the Gulf Stream, which not only brings warm water and a mild climate to the UK shores but also largely drives the ecosystems of the North Atlantic. I also heard about the possibilties for storing carbon in depleted gas and oil fields at a recent CoastNET conference. BP announced that it is to double investment in renewable and alternative energy and establish a new company to “create a new low-carbon power business”. And if all that is not enough, Margaret Beckett, UK Secretary of State for the Environment, launched a new UK initiative to raise public awareness about climate change – Tomorrow’s climate, today’s challenge. Perhaps this flurry of action was triggered by the UN climate change conference in Montreal held at the end of November or perhaps it was just coincidence? These news items serve to remind us of the many different strands of the climate change issue: impacts of climate change on ecosystems; international cooperation; renewable versus non-renewable energy; systems to remove and store carbon; opportunities for business growth in the eco-technology sector; the challenge of changing public behaviour.

certainly in a European context. Climate change is causing sea level rise and consequent coastal habitat loss and coastal erosion. It is causing marine ecosystem change of global importance. There are huge opportunities for business in new, ‘clean’ technologies, and in carbon removal and storage. The sea and coast provide the most important wind resources in Europe, and the sea itself constitutes a huge resource for tidal and wave power. In investigating the potential and feasibility of these options, we are adding volumes to our understanding of the marine environment. Carbon storage offers an option for the alternative use of offshore oil and gas pipelines, rigs and depleted geological reservoirs, potentially saving many hundreds of millions of pounds which could be reinvested into marine management, renewable energy and carbon storage research and development. The global climate change priority is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is the basis of Kyoto. However, it is a priority not shared by all, and one wonders at the ability to achieve real progress at a global level given the pace of economic growth in countries such as China and India. The coasts and seas across the world offer a vital resource in this global effort, but only if well managed. Already we are seeing the potential conflicts of offshore

wind power generation with birds and nature conservation, and with fish and fisheries. The pressure to decommission offshore gas and oil infrastructure, for environmental reasons, may close out significant potential carbon storage reservoirs. The prospect of a new generation of nuclear reactors in the UK holds much interest for those with a stake in the coast. Of the 25 or so nuclear power generation sites in the UK, all but one are on the coast, and a number are in vulnerable erosion and flood risk zones. If the UK is to open the door to the investment in new nuclear technology, what will be the impacts on the maritime and fledgling renewable economic sectors in the UK and northern Europe? Will the pace of renewable generation capacity be slowed, and will we consequently become even more dependent on nuclear power to fill the gap in generation capacity? Are the positive aspects of this scenario balanced by the risks to the environment inherent in nuclear technology? The debate has only just begun.

Alex Midlen, Chair of CoastNET

The coast and seas feature very prominently in all of these issues,

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News Nuclear countdown?

Also in the news

In November, the Government announced its intention to lead a substantial review of its UK energy policy. Much of the chatter surrounding this announcement focused firmly on the role nuclear will have in this review – a decision that will have significant implications to the coastal community, with all but one of the existing nuclear plants currently sited on the coast (see Editorial). Well chosen statistics have been thrust in front of the public from all sides of the nuclear argument yet the real facts on energy may continue to be clouded by the complexities of the decisions to be made. So far, the nuclear discussion seems to have achieved one thing: the overshadowing of a much larger debate that must be played out. This is the debate looking at a total energy review including the part played by renewables and new technology opportunities such as carbon sequestration in our energy future. Wind, wave, tidal, microgeneration, CHP, biomass and even hydro should not be forgotton in this deliberation. This completeness is what the Government assures us the new energy review will be. Whatever the outcome of this review, what is guaranteed is that most of the options on the table will have a profound effect on our coastal landscape. Consultations start early in 2006.

An energy review in progress? 2005 June: ●

Carbon Abatement Technology Strategy published.

October: ●

Publication of the costs and carbon savings study for renewable heat and combined heat and power (CHP) technologies undertaken by Future Energy Solutions.

November: ●

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation announced – making transport fuels greener by requiring five per cent of all UK fuel sold on UK forecourts to come from a renewable source by 2010.

2006 ●

Agreement between the UK and Norway to explore options for permanently storing sequested carbon from coal and gas fired power stations beneath the North Sea.

December: ●

Launch of the Government’s climate change communications campaign, Tomorrow’s climate, today’s challenge. ●

Summary conclusions of the Energy Efficiency Innovation Review carried out by the Carbon Trust and the Energy Saving Trust published.

Jan/Feb:

● Climate Change Programme Review report to be published (reviewing progress under the UK Climate Change Programme).

April/May: ●

Microgeneration Strategy due for publication.

Autumn:

● Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change due to be published. (The purpose of the Stern Review is to understand the economic challenges of climate change and how they can be met, in the UK and globally.)

Emissions – Only 8 of the world’s nations are responsible for nearly 50 per cent of its carbon dioxide emissions. (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and Russia) (WWF) 4

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● Gulf Stream slows – Scientists from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton have discovered a 30 per cent slowing of the Gulf Stream, the ocean current that maintains Europe’s warm waters and moderate climate. If the current remains as weak as it is, temperatures in Britain are likely to drop by an average of 1˚C in the next decade according to Dr Harry Bryden from the Centre. www.soc.soton.ac.uk/ ● World weather disaster losses hit record in 2005 – The world in 2005 will show the highest-ever financial losses for weather-related natural disasters. Economic losses globally will exceed $200 billion and insured losses will be over $70 billion, according to preliminary estimates by the Munich Re Foundation, part of a leading reinsurance company. www.planetark. com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/ 33871/story.htm ● Low carbon leaders of the decade announced – The Low Carbon Leaders Awards have been published in Business Week and were sponsored by The Climate Group. Companies in the top 10 included BP, BT and IBM. http://www.businessweek .com/ magazine/toc/05_50/B39630550 carbon.htm ● Flood and coastal

defence risk management funding announced – Defra grant allocations for spending on flood and coastal defence from 2006-07 will continue at around £570 million per annum. www.defra.gov.uk/news

CoastNET news ● Ozone hole over Antarctica

may take longer than expected to repair itself – The ozone hole over Antarctica in 2005 was one of the largest and new research from the US and Canada indicates ozone-eating chemicals are still being released into the atmosphere in large quantities. Latest modelling predicts the ozone layer in the stratosphere will not now recover its health until about the year 2065. http://news.bbc.co.uk /1/hi/sci/tech/4506182.stm ● Marine nature conservation review – Defra and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have pledged to conserve sea ecosystems while supporting the UK’s marine industries and the communities that rely on them in a new report published in December, Safeguarding Sea Life. The report is a key background document for the nature conservation elements of the Marine Bill. The report can be found on the defra website: www.defra.gov.uk/wildlifecountryside/ewd/rmnc/index.htm ● UN conference on

climate change “It has taken more than 12 years to get 36 countries to cut their emissions by about 5% and worldwide emissions are still rising steeply. The next negotiations will have to get countries to reduce their emissions not by a modest 5% but by 30-50% within a generation. For that to have any chance of happening will mean some of the most fraught negotiations ever conducted.” Guardian online

All party parliamentary group on marine and coastal issues to be set up CoastNET has, in conjunction with Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk, re-established the All Party Parliamentary Group on Marine and Coastal Issues. CoastNET has worked hard to get the group re-established following calls from its members and other individuals within the coastal community. With a committed supporter in Norman Lamb MP, it has finally succeeded. The group’s aim is to create a forum where relevant and interested parties can discuss key coastal issues, formulate policy options and encourage wider political debate and action on the coast. Among the first topics likely to be debated will be the upcoming Marine Bill. The all-party group will consist of a mix of MPs from across all parties with a first meeting due to take place early in 2006. CoastNET will act as

the secretariat and regular updates of the group’s activities will be reported in subsequent issues of The edge.

Recovery – Even if we stopped producing more greenhouse gas from today, the world’s climate would continue to change for a further 30-40 years. (Defra)

Encora project initiated CoastNET has become a partner in a new European project, Encora. Encora is a ‘network of networks’ aimed at initiating a self-sustaining process of cooperation in Europe with new mechanisms for knowledge-sharing within and between communities of coastal sciences and coastal practice. The project aims to deliver an operational European coastal network

Efficiency

– The average UK household creates 6 tonnes of CO2 every year. But the average UK household could save 2 of those tonnes just by being more energy efficient. (www.saveenergy.co.uk)

structure supporting the exchange of knowledge and experience within and between the communities of science, policy and practice after three years of operation. Its opening session is in Feb 2006. For more information on the Encora project visit the website: www.encora.org Note: Encora stands for European Network for Coastal Research Coordination Action.

A cleaner energy source – It takes only 1 hour for the sun to produce enough energy to meet the world’s energy needs for a year (Foyle regional energy agency). In 2003, the total electricity supplied in the UK by renewable energy sources was just 2.7 per cent. Digest of UK energy statistics

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Interpreting coastal futures

Nowhere is climate change more visible than along our coastline. Communities are experiencing more frequent flooding, greater intensity storms, not to mention potential loss of livelihoods and property than ever before. Just what then, might the future have in store for these communities? Tim O’Riordan and Jessica Milligan from the University of East Anglia consider the question.

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he coasts of Britain have finally begun to be seen by the public and politicians for what they really are. They are, for the most part, unstable, dynamic, exposed to flooding and erosion, yet heavily populated for residence, commerce, leisure and nature conservation value. In 2004 the Office of Science and Technology published a report on possible scenarios for coastal and river valley flooding over the rest of this century. In one way, this was a highly speculative move. Nobody seriously believes we can forecast over 95 years with any certainty. But in another important way, the exercise highlights how we treat our coasts, and how we should, as a democracy, prepare our future generations for plausible, safe and vibrant coastal livelihoods, while we have the time to make the required adjustments.

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The Foresight Future Flooding reports (Evans et al, 2004) examined four scenarios (story-based predictions set in plausible assumptions) of coastal and river valley change over the next 95 years. These provided a basis for examining how: society might be organised; what values it may hold; what greenhouse gas emissions and consequent sea level rise would be, with attendant salt incursion of coastal freshwater sources.

involves a sense of social autonomy and high greenhouse gas emissions.

The four scenarios were based on the following criteria:

3 A locally based economy, with much more emphasis on social responsibility. There would be relatively low emissions and local solutions to planning and environmental management would be encouraged.

1 A rapidly expanding global market driven economy with an emphasis on innovation, competitiveness and technological advance. This would create a strong sense of interdependence, but also a willingness to experiment with market-based approaches to regulation and social behaviour. The scenario

2 A more national-based approach to shaping economy and society, with an emphasis on national dialogue and embedded well-being. There would be a greater sense of national responsibility for future outcomes, both adverse and beneficial, and middling levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

4 A global sustainability scenario with a high emphasis on international action and international obligation over all aspects of sustainable

The coasts of Britain have finally begun to be seen by the public and politicians for what they really are. They are, for the most part, unstable, dynamic, exposed to flooding and erosion, yet heavily populated for residence, commerce, leisure and nature conservation value.

development. This would result in low emissions with a strong commitment to regulation and more proactive of resources and management landscapes to be sure that they remain viable. The Foresight study concluded that, at present, two million properties worth over £440 billion, are at risk of flooding from rivers and seas. There are 80,000 urban properties at risk of localised downpours which overwhelm drains and cause water to stand around. This outcome, coupled with the likelihood of much more intensive thunderstorms could put properties worth a further £200 billion at risk of flooding, even those nowhere near a river or the coast. Potentially this ‘overwhelmed drainage’ effect could move huge amounts of insurance money and public investment away from proactive management of rivers and coasts. Under the four scenarios, the Foresight team estimated that future annual flood-related costs could rise from the current £1.4 billion to £2.5 billion under the ‘local sustainability’ scenario, and over £30 billion under the ‘market-based’ scenario. Expressed in terms of costs in relation to national income, the two scenarios based on more communal approaches (global and local sustainability) could involve lower overall burden than at present.

The implications of this exercise are threefold: 1 The effects of overwhelmed drainage in urban areas, notably where properties are insured and unprotected, could involve a huge political bias in favour of investing in urban drainage improvements. Yet managing water before (by better design of buildings) and after it hits the ground (by improving the water retention capacities of river catchments) should be the priority for drought-prone and water-short areas.

2 There is no way that all future coasts can be defended to the present levels of ‘holding the line’ without massive additional costs and even greater ultimate vulnerability to the ‘unsettled’ future coastline. Holding a mobile coastline in place means that nearby coasts may be starved of protective sediment, and hence further exposed to coastal hazard. So holding the line is not only costly, but will result in inter-community squabbles as community after community tries to defend itself. This is a recipe for chaos and intransigence over any future coastal planning. It is another reason why it is necessary to ensure that local authorities are encouraged to cooperate along naturally-functioning coastlines. 3 Designing a coast for retreat and reconstruction to more natural mechanisms of defence (offshore sandbars, tidal lagoons, salt marshes, sand dunes, wetlands, and flood soak areas) will require visions of possible future alignments, creative planning to avoid future risk, and a high degree of public involvement based on a strong commitment to trust and social justice. This means that the future of coastal management cannot remain just within flood management policy, but must embrace new forms of settlement planning, economic development and social relationships. This is a comprehensive sustainability agenda, and one that lies well beyond the current remit of Defra, bringing in local government, planning, training and enterprise elements of the public and private sectors. The current circumstances of coastal planning are neither geomorphologically sensitive nor socially tolerable. The present official aim, namely, to establish a new generation of shoreline management plans, to invite public consultation, and to refuse any compensation for loss of

property value, simply will fail. Already local authorities are rejecting the new breed of SMPs, Coastal MPs are limbering up for a ‘hold the line’ stand-off and citizen willingness to get involved in creative dialogue is evaporating in exasperation, anxiety and despair. There is no solution for all this, under current arrangements. Indeed, matters will only get worse if the government tries to carry on in the manner in which it is currently operating.

The way forward is: ● To hold all coasts for a further five years to give everyone time to come to terms with future realities ● To share the current responsibilities of Defra by placing the enlarged opportunities in the hands of a wide-ranging approach to sustainable coastal livelihoods. Land use planning should be designed to move property progressively away from vulnerable areas and to stop any new build in all possible future zones of flood threat ● To use the sustainability principles to establish coastal action plans that shape livelihoods and social relations for long-term coastal recession and reconstruction. Plans that help ensure new coastal landscapes and settlements are healthy, economically active on a highly localised basis, and socially united by just treatment and fair play.

Tim O’Riordan and Jessica Milligan, Tyndall Centre and CSERGE, University of East Anglia Emails: [email protected] and [email protected] Tyndall Centre: www.tyndall.ac.uk Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE): www.uea.ac.uk/env/cserge

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The accidental ecologists When the offshore oil and gas runs out and the oil industry packs up and goes home, it leaves an unintended and surprising ecological legacy. But not everyone is so enamoured with this newly discovered by-product of the oil rigs as George Steinbach, Executive Director of the California Artificial Reef Enhancement Program explains.

S

killed

and

experienced

engineers from some of the largest engineering firms in the

world designed and built the oil and gas platforms for offshore

California.

They did a good job,

because the resulting structures have withstood wind and wave for decades in water depths up to 1,200 feet. But while the designers focused intently on deck loads and sheer forces to build platforms for drilling and production, they inadvertently built structures ideally shaped and configured for fish and marine life.

As these platforms

approach the end of their producing lives, we are beginning to deal with these unintended consequences.

Almost

immediately after the California platforms were installed, the growth of marine life on and around

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structures

was

unmistakable. Over the years, the underwater portions of the platforms became home to mature reef ecosystems of fishes and invertebrates. Some of the easily accessible platforms are popular destinations for recreational fishermen. Divers and underwater photographers are attracted to the structures by a variety and abundance of marine life that makes them the best dive sites in the State. The marine growth on the platform legs is so prolific that it requires periodic removal to maintain platform stability. The contractor who cleans the legs also collects the removed mussels and scallops for sale into the local restaurant trade.

Underwater home. From l-r: Greenspotted rockfish at bottom of Platform Grace; Starfish in shallow midwaters at Platform Holly; juvenile bocaccio at Platform Gilda; flag rockfish at bottom of Platform Grace; juvenile vermillion rockfish at Platform Gilda and juvenile yellowtail rockfish at Platform Irene.

8

the

The platforms received little attention from marine scientists until the US Geological Survey (USGS) funded a study in 1995 to determine the role they play in the marine environment, if any. Dr Milton Love of the Marine Science Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara assembled a small team and began to survey the fish populations on several of the platforms. His team traversed the entire vertical reach of the structures, using scuba diving equipment for the shallow portions and a two-person submarine to reach the bottoms. The results confirmed the anecdotal evidence of extensive marine life, and the surveys became annual events for Love and his team. The research data, collected in a consistent manner for 10

The inescapable fact is that the California platforms, as they currently exist, are extremely successful artificial reef structures that play an important ecological role in the marine environment.

consecutive years, provides a sound scientific basis for several conclusions now drawn by Love.

the prospect of killing billions of marine animals and destroying highly productive marine habitat.

Love surveyed fish populations on both platforms and nearby natural reef outcrops and found both to be dominated by rockfishes of genus Sebastes, a commercially important group of fishes on the Pacific Coast. The surveys show that, compared to natural reefs, the platforms have

The reaction of environmental groups to Love’s scientific evidence was revealing. Many dismissed the existence of marine life as of secondary importance to seeing the platforms

higher densities of juvenile rockfishes and are functionally more important as nurseries. Also, compared to natural reefs, the platforms have higher densities of reproducing-age adults and, therefore, contribute a higher proportion of rockfish larval production. Overall, Love has concluded that the platforms are not just passive attractors of fish, but play an important role in regional rockfish production. The inescapable fact is that the California platforms, as they currently exist, are extremely successful artificial reef structures that play an important ecological role in the marine environment.

removed. After all, the oil industry promised to remove them, and they should not be let ‘off the hook.’ The platforms are artificial and constitute ‘industrial junk.’ The removal of the platforms is needed ‘to produce a catharsis for all the damage caused by the oil industry.’ It became clear that the scientific evidence alone was going to fail in the face of these very humancentric views of what constitutes appropriate marine habitat. A separate advocacy group was going to be needed to make an argument for the fish.

fishermen, divers, Recreational scientists, environmentalists and fishermen have commercial volunteered to tell the story of these accidental reefs. By challenging the conventional wisdom of removing the oil platforms, a foregone conclusion has become a debate. The decommissioning of the platforms is now seen for its fisheries management implications. The discussion is heated, and the outcome is not certain. However, serious people are now asking the right question: ‘What is the best way to decommission California’s offshore platforms?’ For more information about the work of CARE visit the website: www.calreefs.org/

The California Artificial Reef Enhancement Program (CARE) was founded as a non-profit organisation in 1999. It represents a broad constituency of ocean users who believe that the platforms are valuable habitat and that alternatives to fullremoval should be considered.

Credits

When these platforms run out of oil and gas, the oil industry has a clear obligation to remove the structures. Many environmentalist groups, especially those that oppose the oil industry, have been looking forward to this end to the industry’s presence offshore. However, these groups are now faced with another consequence both unforeseen and unsavory. The removal of the platforms also means the removal of the accidental reefs, and

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Into the © Ian Berry, Magnum Photography, www.embracewind.com

Michael Hay from the British Wind Energy Association takes a look at the latest from UK wind, wave and tidal technologies and their potential contribution to a carbon-free energy resource.

T

he UK has the most powerful wind and wave resource in Europe and is equally blessed with a land mass that channels tidal currents into focused areas of potential energy. This is fortunate since a diverse portfolio of renewable energy sources will be needed to deliver clean energy security in the future. The unique location of each individual nation making up the British Isles also allows for more focused strategies to evolve around technologies that can empower the natural strengths available. In relation to offshore wind, wave and tidal stream energy, any country with a coastline has a substantial power source on its doorstep. Wave energy is

more concentrated along west coasts and tidal stream tends to be localised around particular hot spots. Between them, they could provide a substantial amount of electricity globally. When combining this with the strong air currents off the UK coast, recent work by Oxford University has shown that the result is significant, secure, constant energy. Many countries are now looking to the sea in order to assess how to deliver this energy into their electricity grid effectively and with minimal environmental impact.

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Wild and windy Currently, due to significant deployment globally, wind turbines are the most economically attractive option to harness the available power around the UK. Three strategic areas in the UK have been allocated for the development of offshore wind farms. These are around the Wash, the Thames and the Northern Irish Sea. Three farms have now been built, amounting to some 210MWs of energy, the equivalent of supplying around 137,000 UK homes. By 2010 this number is expected to rise to around 3,000MWs, over three per cent of UK electricity supply. One project alone, the London Array in the Thames Gateway will provide 25 per cent of London’s domestic electricity requirements by the time the Olympics comes to the Capital in 2012.

Wave and tide Wave and tidal technologies are less developed but no less exciting in terms of prospective power providers. A number of countries have put substantial amounts of support into R&D to assess the likelihood of costcompetitive marine energy, with the UK presently at the forefront of this global challenge.

North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm

There are currently only a handful of full-scale wave energy devices in the seas around the world, two of which are located in UK waters. One is a shoreline device called Limpet on the Isle of Islay, the other is a deep water converter called Pelamis, located off the Orkney coast. Ocean Power Delivery, developers of Pelamis, have received a large amount of interest in their technology and are due to build the first offshore wave project off the Portuguese coast in 2006. This will be around 3MWs in size but should trigger enough confidence in this area to see up to 100MWs of both wave and tidal stream technologies in UK waters alone by 2010, rising to around 500MWs by 2015, the equivalent of

Marine Current Turbines Ltd

Ocean Power Delivery Ltd

Pelamis Wave Energy Converter by Ocean Power Delivery

Seaflow Tidal Turbine by Marine Current Turbines

supplying 325,000 UK homes. Given a substantial development programme in the electricity grid network that would allow access into the powerful resource areas of the north-west coast, this figure could rise significantly.

effects of such projects construction, operation decommissioning.

At present there is, however, only one tidal device operating in UK waters and the next phase of its development will be to increase in size from 300kW to 1MW before deployment in numbers begins. This device is known as the Seaflow project and has been located off the north coast of Devon since May 2003. Other concepts, such as SMD Hydrovision’s TidEL turbine, are being designed for deeper water tidal currents, reflecting the different resources available. The benefits of this energy available off the UK is not just the delivery of renewable power into the grid system. It is also the significant market opportunities available in becoming a global leader in offshore renewable energy technologies. Countries including South Africa, Japan,

Australia and many in Europe, together with a number of States in the US, are beginning to push ahead with their own policies for renewable energy generation as part of a global realisation of the need for more indigenous sources of clean power. With this comes not just the opportunity to sell technologies but also the ability to help with supportive knowledge around the reduction of adverse impacts that has been built through experience. In order to understand these impacts, all wave and tidal energy devices are being monitored independently. This monitoring programme will ensure that all potential implications of building such power stations are fully considered prior to construction and that any unforeseen impacts can be dealt with accordingly. A similar programme operates around offshore wind projects, whereby a fund financed by developers is utilised by The Crown Estate to facilitate independent research into any

during and

This knowledge is vital for developers, stakeholders and Government when it comes to assessing sites for construction and, as it becomes more robust over time, will help in the creation of larger and more benign projects with greater confidence. Likewise this learning will be crucial for other countries looking to harness the huge power resource off their coast. Indeed, with increasing evidence showing climate change to be the biggest threat to the marine environment, the quicker these technologies can be developed and deployed in a sustainable manner the better.

Michael Hay is Marine Renewables Development Manager at BWEA, the UK's largest renewable energy trade association representing the wind, wave and tidal energy sectors. For more information go to: www.bwea.com/marine

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A sea of change The seas are not only rising, their temperature is increasing thanks to climate change. But what effect will this have on the creatures that live around the UK coasts? Pippa Moore and her colleagues at the Marine Biological Association take a plunge into the Big Blue.

I

t is widely accepted that the planet is experiencing a period of rapid climate change, primarily driven by human activities. Sea

surface temperatures (SST) around the British coastline have increased. In fact, data for the English Channel show a 1 C rise in SST since 1990, greater than any other change recorded over the past 100 years (Hawkins et al 2003). Because of this, climate change impacts on our marine biodiversity are of strategic concern to the scientific community, government, NGOs and the general public. 0

The British Isles, particularly southwest Britain, are ideally situated for investigating the effects of climate change as they straddle two major marine biogeographic zones. This

results in both warm (lusitanian) and cool (boreal) species co-existing, living at the northern or southern edge of their biogeographic ranges. These species have been shown to respond to previous natural climate shifts and as such are expected to respond to the current rapid climate changes affecting our seas.

Effects of global change on plankton and fish Early work carried out by researchers at the Marine Biological Association of the UK (MBA), for example, linked fluctuations in the abundance of coldwater planktonic herring larvae and warm-water pilchard eggs with fluctuations in climatic conditions (Southward 1980). More recently a northward shift of 10˚ latitude in the distribution of southern species of

copepod in the eastern Atlantic has been found (Beaugrand et al. 2002). These species shifts could potentially impacts on fish have large communities as there will be a mismatch in plankton availability at the time of the year when food is needed. In the English Channel, work on both commercial and non-commercial fish populations found that changes in mean annual sea surface temperature (SST) accounted for the greatest variation (24 per cent) in fish community structure. Fishing pressure also accounted for changes in the commercial part of the population (Genner et al 2004). Declines have been seen in the abundance of larger commercial species, such as skates, rays and brill. Large increases have also been noted in smaller trash species (commercially caught fish not for human consumption), such as poor cod, red band-fish and dragonets. Such shifts in fish species ranges have also been observed in the North Sea (Perry et al 2005). There have also been changes in species migration and spawning times in the English Channel (Sims et al 2001, 2004).

Intertidal indicators of climate change

Winner – Strawberry anemone

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As the most readily accessible marine habitat in Europe, rocky shores have been the focus of formal recording of species distributions since the first half

1963

© MBA

2001 The change in fish sizes caught between the 1960s and now is clearly evident in these MBA trawl photos taken in: left, Oct 1963; right, Nov 2001.

of the 20th Century. Rocky shores are easily surveyed and can provide cheap indicators of changes offshore. The Marine Biodiversity and Climate Change (MarClim) project has recently analysed historic data sets from the 1950s-1980s and contemporary data on intertidal indicator species abundances, distributions and population structure. The project has observed eastern and northern range extensions of many intertidal species with southern biogeographic distributions including: limpets, topshells, barnacles and algae. In many cases the extension of species ranges in the eastern English Channel has been assisted by sea defences which act as stepping stones for species expansion to areas where previously suitable hard substrata has not been present (Herbert et al 2003).

Sea defences are likely to increase over the next few years, providing more habitat for species range expansion. More can be found out about the rocky shore survey work at www.mba.ac.uk/marclim Already some species are being recorded as ‘winners’ or ‘losers’. ‘Winners’ include the strawberry anemone Actinia fragacea and the topshell Gibbula umbilicalis which have both been recorded further north and east in recent years. In contrast, dabberlocks seaweed Alaria esculenta and the common tortoiseshell limpet Tectura testudinalis have both been classed as ‘losers’ as their ranges are contracting in the British Isles. Although it is not clear how all species will respond to climate change or the speed that they will respond, what is clear is that species ranges will change and change independently of each other. Different species mixtures will occur resulting in large impacts on the structure and function of marine communities. Efforts are now being made to understand the mechanisms behind species responses to climate change to inform predictive models to forecast future species ranges and community structure.

Getting involved The Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN), in conjunction with other agencies has been at the forefront of coordinating a volunteer marine recording network. Volunteer recorders are given a variety of resources including marine life recording schemes and identification guides which focus on conspicuous and easily identifiable species, many of which are sensitive to climate change. Findings are reported via the MarLIN website where the information is verified, validated, entered into a database and made available to all. To find out more about getting involved, see the MarLIN website: www.marlin.ac.uk/LearningZone. It is hoped that this sort of inititative will strengthen links between research and education as well as contributing to baseline data by providing wide geographical and temporal coverage, tapping into local knowledge and picking up rare occurrences of species.

Marine Biological Association: www.mba.ac.uk Tel 01752 633207

K. Telnes

Authors: Pippa Moore, Post doctoral research assistant on the MarClim project - Steve Hawkins, Director of MBA - Keith Hiscock,

Loser – common tortoiseshell limpet

Programme Director, MarLIN - Alan Southward, Associate research fellow, MBA

The edge Winter 2006

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Groundworks

A regular look at the work of coastal partnerships

Climate change Climate change is one of the most serious pressures facing our coasts. It is not surprising then, that many coastal partnerships are actively involved in initiatives that seek to raise awareness, improve communication and further our understanding of this issue.

Thames Estuary Partnership In the South East, the Thames Estuary Partnership has worked with a range of partners, including wind farm developers and The Crown Estate, to develop the innovative Thames Estuary Education Pod (TEEP). TEEP is an attractive, portable display that makes the concept of renewable energy more tangible to young people in a fun and informative way. The TEEP is composed of elements including a miniature wind turbine, to help children improve their understanding of energy efficiency

and government policy. This issue is particularly pertinent around the Thames Estuary as the outer estuary is considered an ideal location for various forms of renewable energies planned or in development. Partnerships strive to assess issues from an integrated viewpoint and they provide a unique neutral brokering role on complex coastal issues. In a separate project, The State of the Thames Estuary, the Thames Estuary Partnership is reviewing the current ‘health’ of the estuary in terms of the economic, social and natural environment. As part of an interdisciplinary review of the key pressures facing the Thames, the report will outline the threats and opportunities presented by climate change and start to address the management responses needed.

Thanet Coast Project A core element of partnerships’ work is to enable community participation. Along the South Coast, the voluntary Thanet Coast Warden Scheme, a fantastic project run by the Thanet Coast Project, is helping to monitor the effects of climate change. The scheme involves local volunteers adopting a stretch of coast and being trained to identify coastal and marine wildlife, while recording valuable information that will be used to protect the coastal wildlife. As part of this scheme the coastal wardens are trained to look out for particular indicator species to illustrate possible changes in distribution in response to climate change and global warming. For example, volunteers are asked to look out for the Purple Topshell (Gibbula umbilicalis), although at present this has not been recorded as far east up the English Channel as the Thanet Coast.

Severn Estuary Partnership The Thames Estuary Education Pod (TEEP)

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The edge Winter 2006

In Wales, the Severn Estuary Partnership new, improved newsletter Severn Tidings has helped to raise

public awareness of just how dynamic our coastlines are (see www.severnestuary.net/sep/publicatio ns.html for more information). In the first issue the impact of climate change and associated sea level rise on the Severn shoreline is clearly highlighted. As the article aptly points out, more than ever there is a need for joined-up thinking and cooperation between us all, both of which coastal partnerships are ever striving to achieve.

Partnership news in brief… Partnership Standing Conference CoastNET has brought Coastal Partnerships together through three annual Partnership Standing Conferences to date (London, 2003; Leeds, 2004; Durham, 2005). The next Partnership Standing Conference will take place in March 2006. To register your interest please contact Dr Theresa Redding at [email protected]. Creating better integration between partnerships Defra has been approached by some partnership officers and CoastNET to discuss the possibilities for enabling partnerships to exchange ideas more regularly and support one another. Watch this space for developments on identifying mechanisms to facilitate these discussions between partnerships.

Many thanks go to the following organisations that provided the information for this issue: Thames Estuary Partnership, Thanet Coast Project and the Severn Estuary Partnership.

If you’d like to contribute to Groundworks and submit a case study on the important work your partnership does please contact Erin at [email protected]. The next issue of The edge will focus on the Marine Bill.

We b w i s e Look for any information on climate change on the web and you’re inundated. Here’s CoastNET’s quick guide to what’s out there. Reducing energy impacts ■ Carbon neutral company www.carbonneutral.com Includes a carbon calculator to work out your home, travel or business emissions.

■ The climate group www.theclimategroup.org NGO dedicated to advancing business and government leadership on climate change. ■ The climate network www.climatenetwork.org Worldwide network of over 300 NGOs working to limit climate change. ■ Defra cimate change website www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ climatechange ■ DTI www.dti.gov.uk/renewables The DTI renewable energy website.

■ The carbon trust www.thecarbontrust.co.uk/carbontrust Government-funded independent company provides advice for business and public sectors in reducing carbon use. ■ Energy saving trust www.est.org.uk/myhome/ Lots of useful information for energy saving at home. ■ Friends of the earth www.foe.co.uk/living Friends of the Earth’s lifestyle website – includes energy saving tips and how to reduce bills.

■ Rising tide http://risingtide.org.uk Network for taking local action against climate change. ■ Stop climate chaos www.stopclimatechaos.org Coalition of organisations working to mobilise public concern and stop climate change.

understanding climate change and its impacts. ■ Tyndall centre http://tyndall.e-collaboration.co.uk Brings together scientists, economists, engineers and social scientists, to develop sustainable responses to climate change through transdisciplinary research and dialogue. ■ UK Climate Impacts Programme www.ukcip.org.uk Provides scenarios that show how our climate might change and coordinates research on dealing with our future climate. ■ UK Environmental Change Network www.ecn.ac.uk Data, monitoring and research to detect and interpret environmental change.

Sites for children www.coolkidsforacoolclimate.com

■ UN framework convention on climate change http://unfccc.int

Research

■ Carbon dioxide information analysis center http://cdiac.ornl.gov ■ Climate Research Unit, University of East Anglia www.cru.uea.ac.uk

Policy and lobbying ■ Climate change projects office www.dti.gov.uk/ccpo Government advisory office set up to assist UK businesses to pursue opportunities arising from the Kyoto Protocol.

■ Greenhouse gas online www.ghgonline.org

www.epa.gov.globalwarming/kids/gw. html

■ Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research www.meto.gov.uk/research/hadleyc entre

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climat echange/schools/

■ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change www.ipcc.ch Established by WMO and UNEP to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information for

Public awareness ■ Tomorrow’s climate today’s challenge www.climatechallenge.gov.uk The Government’s new site aimed to raise public awareness about climate change. The edge Winter 2006

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CoastNET events Regional workshops

Conference

Engaging the public in coastal issues

Involving actors and combining instruments – making the best use of policy tools for ICZM

CoastNET is organising a series of six regional workshops for coastal practitioners to share ideas on how best to engage the public in coastal issues. There will be presentations and facilitated discussions in the exploration of good practice in public engagement. Delegates will also bring along examples of the resources they have developed which others can adapt and use in their work.

■ Pilot workshop in the South East Date: 16 January 2006 Location: Maidstone Fully booked

■ South West

Date: 3 March 2006 Location: Newton Abbott Places available

■ Wales

Date: 10 March 2006 Location: Llenlli Places available

■ North West

Date: 13 March 2006 Location: Lancaster Places available

■ Scotland

Date: 17 March 2006 Location: Dundee Places available

■ North East

Date: 16 March 2006 Location: Durham Places available

■ If you are interested in attending one of the five workshops on which places are still available, please contact Erin Pettifer on 01206 728644 or at [email protected]

CoastNET emails have changed: Theresa Redding; [email protected] Pat Stitt; [email protected] Lesley Smeardon; [email protected] Erin Pettifer; [email protected] Events; [email protected]

Location: France Date: June 2006 One of the fundamental principles of ICZM is to bring together local institutions, agencies and users to agree common management objectives and appropriate management measures. However, to ensure consistency in management between different regions it is important to have common strategic frameworks at higher levels. In this conference we bring together local issues, by examining local case studies with respect to the national response to the EU ICZM Recommendation. Speakers will consider the adequacy of management tools available at the local level in the context of the French national ICZM strategy and the challenges on implementing a new national policy. Further details will be available shortly.

Other upcoming CoastNET conferences: NW Europe ‘Centre of Excellence’ in ICZM – challenges and opportunities Location: Cork Date: September 2006

Water framework directive and spatial planning on the coast Location: Cardiff Date: December 2006

SEA Directive and coastal spatial strategies Location: Newcastle Date: Jan 2007

Partnership Forum Date: March 2006 The annual gathering of coastal and estuary partnerships and fora is being planned to take place in March 2006. The content will be planned around responses gathered from partnerships in the UK – CoastNET will be in touch with all partnerships and fora over the next month to seek their views. This will be the fourth conference/forum for partnerships organised and run by CoastNET, the reports for the last three (2003, 2004, 2005) can be found on the CoastNET website www.coastnet.org.uk

■ For information on any of the conferences listed please contact CoastNET on 01206 728644 or by email [email protected]

This publication is partially funded through the Corepoint project under the Interrreg 3B Programme. Corepoint aims to establish North West Europe as an internationally recognised region of excellence in coastal management by encouraging full implementation of ICZM, highlighting best practice, providing education by influencing national spatial policies – for further details please see http://corepoint.ucc.ie