26/01/2023 | A new publication about "Challenges in Tropical Coastal Zone Management - Experiences and Lessons Learned" that was edited by Matthias Wolff and Sebastian Ferse from ZMT as well as Hugh Govan form the University of the South Pacific together with a large group of ZMT alumni from the ISATEC master´s programme has now been published in January.
While the last book related to the ISATEC programme (International Studies of Tropical Aquatic Ecosystems) published in 2010 and entitled "Tropical Waters and Their Living Resources: Ecology. Assessment and Management" was rather the work of the ISATEC lecturers and meant to provide a background reading source for the ISATEC students, this new book is mainly based on the work experiences of ISATEC alumni in their home countries, complemented by an introduction and synopsis provided by the editors. It provides evidence of the impact of ISATEC on the progress of research and capacity development in many tropical partner countries of the ZMT.
The new publication shows an extreme breadth of research (geographically, culturally, and in terms of scientific discipline) covered by the ISATEC alumni network. It provides remarkable evidence of how social-ecological, economic, and climatic issues are always present, and intertwined, in coastal zone management.
“I am very happy about this project, which took quite a while and was a big effort of many”, says lead author Matthias Wolff. “I am sure that many of the questions raised in this book will continue to play key roles in future research and that ZMT´s ISATEC alumni network will shape future studies within this scope.”
About the Book
This book focuses on tropical coasts, which are highly vulnerable due to a multitude of stressors. Population growth is substantial, habitats are lost and biodiversity is reduced at an alarming rate, severely affecting many ecosystem services. This situation calls for sound coastal management and the effective engagement of all relevant stakeholders.
About two decades ago the M.Sc. programme ISATEC (International Studies in Aquatic Tropical Ecology) was created at Bremen University (Germany) to train young scientists for a professional engagement in the complex field of tropical coastal and resource management. This book provides a platform for those alumni to report on their work experiences and findings in their home countries and covers all regions of the tropical belt.
Part I of the book provides a short review of the state of the tropical ocean and its resources and of international attempts towards sustainable ocean management starting with the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in 1992. Part II deals with country case studies, and part III focuses on an evaluation & synopsis of those contributions. Emerging key issues for management and conservation of the tropical coastal environments are presented and critical challenges on the path towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are discussed, as are the needs for enhancing research and capacity development.
Contacts 
Working Groups