Available oceanographic information of the Eastern Mediterranean indicates low nutrient and primary productivity values as well as low benthic and fish biomass. However, inshore waters are strongly influenced by urbanisation and industrial activities leading to the degradation of the ecological status of the estuarine and coastal systems. In this study, water samples were collected in the coastal area of the Strait of Lesvos, Greece in July 2008 anddetermination of chlorophyll a and Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen concentrations was performed.

An integrated modeling procedure is presented for the calculation of the hydrodynamics and the excess temperature of coastal waters, during the discharge of cooling waters from power stations. The procedure, which consists of five steps, involves the use of two models.

Knowledge of the current ecological state is of vital importance for coastal zone management. Due to the optical complexity of coastal waters compared to the open ocean, more sophisticated instruments and algorithms are needed to derive relevant variables. Satellite remote sensing allows the spatial and temporal assessment of various physical, biological and ecological parameters of water bodies on global and regional scales.

Water and coastlines are shared by all of us, so that the activities in land-locked countries may affect the coastlines far away, in another country. There is therefore a global need for professionals with an understanding of the issues and pressures for appropriate management. The course objective is to train managers and scientists for the Integrated River Basin and Coastal Zone Management, including the Water Framework Directive implementation and sustainability.

Coastal environments have always been strategic locations for the social and economic development of every country. Hence coasts are continuously monitored in order to contain the unavoidable of anthropic activities effects on the delicate equilibrium of marine environments. These checks are particularly important in dock areas which are the core-points for all marine activities such as the transit of large commercial and passenger ships, large and small fishing boats and all the industrial and commercial activities typical of port areas.

Dredging of several hundred million cubic meters of sediments each year from harbors and waterways is mandatory in order to maintain the efficiency of the navigation system. Presently, the most common approach to management of dredged sediments is generally limited to dumping into confined disposal facilities (CDFs), but this solution could create potential concerns such as contaminant exposure and slow dewatering/consolidation (Reddy et al., 2006); in addition, disposal is space-consuming and proper sites can be difficult to find (Nystroem et al., 2006). Conversely, dredged sediments could be used in a valuable way, such as for habitat restoration and creation, beach nourishment, industrial and commercial development, enlargement of harbors and other coastal structures.

In the internal channels of Marano Lagoon (in northern Italy), the continuous deposit of sediments, often polluted by contaminants such as heavy metals and organic halogens, hinders navigation and access to harbours. To make them navigable once again, it is necessary to excavate the sea bottom and store the dredged material in confined disposal facilities (CDF) on upland to prevent the release of contaminants into the biosphere. During dredging operations, transport and subsequent storage, sediments undergo several physical processes such as increase in water content, sedimentation, consolidation and desiccation that strongly alter the structure and geotechnical behaviour.

Pollution incidents of national significance can be caused by industrial accidents; natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, terrorist attacks; weapons of mass destruction; and disease outbreaks impacting the safety of the U.S. food supply. These incidents require an integrated response from federal, state, and local government. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has updated the National Response Plan (NRP) and the National Incident Management System for responding to Homeland Security incidents of national significance. Within the NRP, the DHS has identified 15 National Planning Scenarios that every federal, state and local emergency response agency is to create emergency plans for. Each of these 15 scenarios involves decontamination and disposal of contaminated material.

During the autumn and winter months huge amounts of dead Poseidonia oceanica are washed up onto the coast each year. The latter is an aquatic marine plant, often commonly termed seaweed, which grows on the seabed meadows in spring and summer, shedding its long linear leaves, having turned from their original green colour to brown, in the autumn. Tons of these leaves are washed up by the waves on the shoreline. The layers of this seaweed along the shore at times reach the height of two metres, often being mixed with relevant amounts of sand.

Das Fischereirecht ist trotz seiner Bedeutung für die Ernährung des Menschen und für die Ökosysteme der Meere in Deutschland bislang ein Randgebiet. Im marinen Naturschutzrecht ist die Situation inzwischen etwas besser geworden.