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Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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CSI papers 1
Comparative Management of Beach Systems of Florida and the Antilles: Applications using Ecological Assessment and Decision Support Procedures
Kenyon C. Lindeman
Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries, R. S. M. A. S.,
University of Miami, USA
Abstract
A primary contrast in beach system management between Florida and the Antilles involves the differential utilization of sediments. Although sediments are mined in both regions, the sites and destinations differ substantially. In Florida, sediments are dredged from submerged deposits and dumped on beaches and subtidal habitats, while in the Antilles they are primarily mined from beaches and used as construction material. Within both regions, there are needs to optimize multiple policy issues raised by these approaches. Recent methodological developments within the fields of environmental assessment and decision-support may aid evaluations of these and related issues. Using comparative ecological risk assessment and analytic hierarchy procedures, preliminary frameworks to identify optimal policy combinations were developed for: beach nourishment alternatives in Florida, and construction material alternatives in the Antilles. Preliminary results from both examples are presented, with emphasis on the assessment of environmental effects of differing nourishment alternatives upon coastal fish populations of southeast Florida. The frameworks produced logical and explicit characterizations of highly complex problems, but do not yet represent definitive results. Both frameworks were designed to foster future revisions by local experts for further application within both regions. Upon systematic application, group-based environmental assessment and decision-support tools can substantially aid the evaluation of diverse coastal management issues throughout the Caribbean region.
