Can humans & coastal landforms co-exist? : proceedings of a workshop held at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA January 24, 2001

Abstract

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.