Abstract
Coasts are areas under pressure. These pressures affect coastal and marine ecosystems, but as well include social and economic changes. Changing patterns of use, especially in the sea and an intensification of land-sea interactions characterise this change. As a response the concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management evolved as an alternative to traditional ad hoc and sector-based planning and management approaches. Within this context inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches, which address the interactions between society and coastal ecosystems become more and more prominent. Examples are the global research program LOICZ and the German research project Coastal Futures. This article provides a brief overview of these developments and serves as an introduction to a series of articles in GAIA, which address selected issues of coastal change and coastal governance.
