O'Connell James F.

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O'Connell
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James F.
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  • Technical Report
    Can humans & coastal landforms co-exist? : proceedings of a workshop held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA January 24, 2001
    (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2001-10) O'Connell, James F.
    The primary objective of this publication is to share with a wider audience the valuable information and extensive dialogue that took place amongst over 140 individuals who attended the second in a series of planned workshops on the science and management of coastal landforms in Massachusetts. This workshop took place at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on January 24, 2001. The individuals who attended this workshop are actively engaged in planning, managing, regulating, engineering, educating, and studying coastal landforms and their beneficial functions. This workshop titled, Can Humans & Coastal Landforms Co-exist?’, was a natural follow-up to a previous workshop, Coastal Landform Management in Massachusetts, held at WHOI October 9-10, 1997 (proceedings published as WHOI Technical Report #WHOI-98-16). The workshop had a very practical, applied focus, providing state-of-the-art scientific understanding of coastal landform function, case history management and regulation of human activities proposed on coastal landforms, a multi-faceted mock conservation commission hearing presented by practicing technical consultants and attorneys that involved all attendees acting as regulators in breakout sessions, and, at the conclusion of the workshop, an open discussion on all issues related to the science and management of coastal landforms, including future research needs.
  • Technical Report
    Stabilizing dunes and coastal banks using vegetation and bioengineering : proceedings of a workshop held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
    (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2002-12) O'Connell, James F.
    The primary objective of the workshop and these proceedings is to share with a broader audience the valuable information and extensive dialogue that took place amongst over 100 individuals who attended the third in a series of workshops on the science and management of coastal landforms in Massachusetts. The workshop took place at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Woods Hole, MA on February 28, 2002. The individuals who attended the workshop are actively engaged in planning, managing, regulating, engineering, educating, and studying the interaction of human activities with coastal landforms and coastal processes, particularly erosion control related activities. This workshop titled, Stabilizing Dunes and Coastal Banks using Vegetation and Bioengineering, was a natural follow-up to two previous workshops: Can Humans and Coastal Landforms Co-exist, held at WHOI, January 24, 2001 (proceedings published as WHOI Technical Report #WHOI-2001-14), and Coastal Landform Management in Massachusetts, held at WHOI October 9-10, 1997 (proceedings published as WHOI Technical Report #WHOI-98-16). This workshop had a very practical, applied focus, providing state-of-the-art scientific and case history engineering applications of non-structural/bioengineering and coastal vegetation-related erosion control and wildlife habitat enhancement techniques. The history and theory of bioengineering in coastal areas was discussed as well.
  • Technical Report
    Coastal Landform System Sustainability Project : an analysis of activities permitted on coastal landforms on Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1999
    (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2000-08) O'Connell, James F.
    In their natural state, the coastal landform systems of Cape Cod are self-sustaining. However, recognition that humans have become intrinsic agents in the evolution of coastal landscapes is significant. There is a great need to understand how individual actions on a small scale (lot-by-lot) basis affect the sustainability of coastal landform systems, such as coastal dunes, beaches, coastal banks, barrier beaches, saltmarshes, and coastal floodplains. However, there are few investigations relative to this scale. This study illustrates the vast extent of human alterations to coastal landforms on Cape Cod. As a result of analyzing 318 Orders of Conditions issued for activities permitted on and adjacent to coastal landforms in all 15 Cape Cod towns in 1999, it documents and quantifies the gains and losses to coastal landform system sustainability. The study documents the types of activities presently taking place on and adjacent to our coastal landforms and their potential affects, and potential mitigation being required by local commissions to minimize these affects. It also documents the trade-offs and balances oftentimes necessary in the application of performance standard based regulations governing activities proposed on coastal landforms. Because our quantitative understanding of coastal landform function is still evolving, particularly on a small-scale lot-by-lot basis, many decisions are oftentimes made using best professional judgement (if available) without predictive capability to know what the impact will be to the applicant's or neighboring property and resources. It is hoped that the results of this study will assist local, state, and federal coastal resource managers and regulators, as well as the public, in gaining insight into the interactions of human activities and natural coastal landform system function leading towards improved coastal resource management. The project participants stated that during the course of this study the sharing of information among them was invaluable. It is hoped that the sharing of information in this study with a broader audience will also be utilized for improved coastal landform system management.
  • Preprint
    State and local governments plan for development of most land vulnerable to rising sea level along the US Atlantic coast
    ( 2009-10-24) Titus, J. G. ; Hudgens, D. E. ; Trescott, D. L. ; Craghan, M. ; Nuckols, W. H. ; Hershner, C. H. ; Kassakian, J. M. ; Linn, C. J. ; Merritt, P. G. ; McCue, T. M. ; O'Connell, James F. ; Tanski, J. ; Wang, Jue
    Rising sea level threatens existing coastal wetlands. Overall ecosystems could often survive by migrating inland, if adjacent lands remained vacant. On the basis of 131 state and local land use plans, we estimate that almost 60% of the land below 1 m along the US Atlantic coast is expected to be developed and thus unavailable for the inland migration of wetlands. Less than 10% of the land below 1 m has been set aside for conservation. Environmental regulators routinely grant permits for shore protection structures (which block wetland migration) on the basis of a federal finding that these structures have no cumulative environmental impact. Our results suggest that shore protection does have a cumulative impact. If sea level rise is taken into account, wetland policies that previously seemed to comply with federal law probably violate the Clean Water Act.