In this study, ‘‘coastal management’’ is defined as all management occupations concerned with the safety, environmental protection, public infrastructure, and development of coastal areas, on land and in near shore coastal waters. To assure coastal states and communities are beginning to prepare, mitigate, and adapt adequately to the impacts of climate change, this information should (ideally) percolate from scientists to the managers who need it most. The information that is generally used in the coastal managers' daily work is about environmental features. Next category of information used is weather, than socioeconomic information and geologic information. Interviewees identified various information management needs and specific ways to make available information more accessible and user-friendly. As sources of information coastal managers scientific journals, professional journals, in- house colleague, professional literature, State agency staff etc. coastal managers also use maps, GIS, analytic models, forecast models, decision support tools and database management to display, analyze and/or transform available technical information into useful management relevant information. To date, coastal managers insufficiently benefit from the available scientific information on coastal impacts of climate variability and change and sea-level rise, as it exists in largely untapped scientific journals, few experts are ever consulted, and relevant research institutions are not yet linked into the ‘‘management on the ground.’’ Moreover, coastal managers are interested in the topic and would be willing to address climate change impacts in their work, but they require financial and technical assistance from other agencies at the state and federal level or from one or more boundary organizations that can play the intermediary role of co-producing knowledge resources between science and management.

More than information: what coastal managers need to plan for climate change, Environmental Science and Policy, 11, 2008 (Ref. Doc. 28)

Coastal areas historically have been the preferred geography for human settlements and development, and coastal ecosystems are one of the most degraded natural systems because of this social trend. Climate change is forecasted to exacerbate current environmental degradation and further alter coastal landscapes, as coastal areas and ecosystems are some of the more vulnerable places to climate change. The guide proposes a 7-step process for considering potential impacts of climate change: Step 1: Identify conservation targets; Step 2: Identify key ecological attributes: Step 3: Identify existing non- climate stressors on key ecological attributes; Step 4: Identify projected climate stressors/ impacts; Step 5: Evaluate climate effects on conservation targets; Step 6: Identify long-term management goals and objectives; Step 7: Formulate a long- term management plan. Each step is described with an example, why the step is important, how to use it and helpful resources.

Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program: Voluntary Step-by-Step Guide for considering Potential Climate Change Effects on Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Projects, 2012 (Ref. Doc. 41)

The paper provides background information on problem of sea level rise. Its contribution is threefold. First, it proposes a framework to discuss the economic growth impact of sea level rise. Second, it reviews the channels through which sea level rise can affect economic growth, namely the loss of land, the loss of infrastructure and physical capital, the loss of social capital, the additional cost from extreme events and coastal floods, and the increased expenditure for coastal protection. Finally, it discusses how existing studies on the direct impact of sea level rise could be used to investigate the resulting consequences on economic growth, emphasizes research needs on this question, and discusses consequences on migration. The main conclusion of this paper is that sizeable impacts of sea level rise on economic growth and welfare are possible, at least at the regional scale, even though it is difficult to quantify this effect with current knowledge.

A framework to investigate the economic growth impact of sea level rise, IOP Science, 2012 (Ref. Doc. 64)

The paper starts with the hypothesis that coastal ecosystems, particularly intertidal wetlands and reefs (coral and shellfish), can play a critical role in reducing the vulnerability of coastal communities to rising seas and coastal hazards, through their multiple roles in wave attenuation, sediment capture, vertical accretion, erosion reduction and the mitigation of storm surge and debris movement. The paper describes the factors that affect the strength or efficacy of these ecosystem services in different locations, as well as management interventions, which may restore or enhance such values. The authors argue that improved understanding and application of such knowledge form a critical part of coastal adaptation planning, likely reducing the need for expensive engineering options in some locations, and providing a complementary tool in hybrid engineering design. Furthermore, they argue that irrespective of future climate change, coastal hazards already impact countless communities and the appropriate use of ecosystem-based adaptation strategies offers a valuable and effective tool for present-day management. Maintaining and enhancing coastal systems will also support the continued provision of other coastal services, including the provision of food and maintenance of coastal resource dependent livelihoods.

The role of ecosystems in coastal protection- Adapting to climate change and coastal hazards, Ocean and Coastal Management, In Press (Ref. Doc. 65)