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Study Guide for Module 7: Oceans & Coasts Overview: This module explores the oceans and coasts of the world, which together constitute a huge proportion of the Earth surface. The aim is for students to conceive of the world’s oceans as a dynamic body of water, and to explore some of the main cross-scale interactions in marine and coastal social-ecological systems. The module first provides a description and some facts about oceans and coasts. It then looks at the ecosystem services provided by these ecosystems and their contribution to human well-being. These are significant given the large proportion of the world population that lives near coastal areas. Oceans are then examined using the complex adaptive systems lens, and two major crises are explored in greater detail: ocean acidification and the fisheries crisis. With regards to governance and management, the students will then learn how the ecosystem approach and systems thinking can contribute specifically to addressing these two crises. The module also looks at how local and traditional management can contribute to the sustainability of oceans and coasts. It then explores some of the strategies that can assist in moving towards an integrated ecosystem approach to management and governance of oceans and coasts. Before the final quiz, the module ends on a more positive note with the reading: The Rise of Ocean Optimism.

Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Conceive of the global ocean as a dynamic body of water • Provide a general overview of some of the main cross-scale interactions in marine

and coastal social-ecological systems • Explain the importance of healthy oceans and coasts for current and future human

wellbeing • List major anthropogenic threats to oceans and coasts • Provide an overview of the process of ocean acidification and its predicted impacts • Describe the current state of world fisheries and identify the main causes of fisheries

collapse • Identify how the ecosystem approach and systems thinking can contribute to

addressing the ocean and fisheries crises • Explain how local and traditional management can contribute to the sustainability of

oceans and coasts • List some of the strategies that can assist in moving towards an integrated

ecosystem approach to management and governance of oceans and coasts

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Topic Outline 7.1 What are Oceans and Coasts?

7.1.1 Oceans 7.1.2 The Ocean is Always Moving 7.1.3 Coasts

7.2 Why are Oceans and Coasts Important? 7.2.1 Oceans 7.2.2 Coasts: Part 1 7.2.3 Coasts: Part 2 7.2.4 Contributions of Oceans and Coast to Human Well-Being

7.3 What are the Dynamics of this System? Why is it Complex? 7.3.1 The Ocean as a Complex Adaptive System: Part 1 7.3.2 The Ocean as a Complex Adaptive System: Part 2 7.3.3 Zooming in: Two Major Crises: Part 1 7.3.4 Zooming in: Two Major Crises: Part 2

7.4 How Can we Govern It for Social-Ecological Resilience and Human Well-Being? 7.4.1 Fisheries: Part 1 7.4.2 Fisheries: Part 2 7.4.3 Fisheries: Part 3 7.4.4 Zooming out Again: The Big Picture of Marine and Coastal Management and Governance: Part 1 7.4.5 Zooming out Again: The Big Picture of Marine and Coastal Management and Governance: Part 2 7.4.6 Combatting “Environmental Anxiety and Depression”

Important Concepts • Ocean currents and waves • Important coastal ecosystems: blue carbon ecosystems and coral reefs • The importance of healthy oceans and coasts for current and future human

wellbeing • Cross-scale interactions in marine and coastal social-ecological systems • Multiple and cumulative threats to oceans and coasts • Ocean acidification and the fisheries crisis • Challenges of fisheries management and governance and the way forward • Local and traditional management and governance in small-scale fisheries • Challenges to ocean governance and UNEP’s framework for moving towards an

ecosystem approach to ocean and coastal management and governance

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Study Materials: • Readings:

o Article: “The Rise of Ocean Optimism” o The Blue Carbon Initiative: http://thebluecarboninitiative.org/

• Videos: o Ocean Currents:

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/player/lesson08.html o Two Minutes on Oceans with Jim Toomey: Wastewater:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=itCOY7VviRU o Preventing Our Oceans from Becoming Dumps:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uCXEHrmEYpM

o Demystifying ocean acidification and biodiversity impacts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL7qJYKzcsk

o Acidifying Water Takes Toll on Northwest Shellfish: https://vimeo.com/54408927

o Tragedy of the Commons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwaNZgY9PCQ

Activities: Optional activity:

• Go visit the hashtag #oceanoptimism at: https://tagboard.com/oceanoptimism/228526 and choose one post that you think is particularly encouraging for the future of our oceans. Create a marker on the interactive map and repost the link with a short description of what you like about this project. Don’t forget to tag your post with the keyword “Ocean”. You can also link your post to an already existing post if relevant. Alternatively, you can describe a project in your area and add it to the interactive map or to #OceanOptimism !

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Additional Resources: • BBC Science documentary with English subtitles on ocean acidification |

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXFK3dWfFsk • Interactive slide show on ocean acidification including an interactive model

http://web.stanford.edu/group/inquiry2insight/cgi-bin/vu-r1a/vu.php?view=acidocean

• KQED Science has a lot of interesting material on oceans, including this article and video on an initiative to restore oyster reefs in North Carolina, United States http://ww2.kqed.org/quest/2013/10/22/restoring-oyster-reefs/

• The NOAA website has a wealth of information and educational material on oceans. Here are two examples of what you find:

o An excellent series of 15 lessons that cover everything from physical processes, biogeochemical cycles and human threats to oceans.

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/player/

o A fun online activity that asks you to create a hurricane http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/oceans_weather_climate/media/create_hurricane.swf

• The following model of the Earth with no atmosphere allows you to explore the impact of changing the ocean’s depth (i.e. its heat capacity) and the pattern of solar radiation on the Earth’s temperature. https://insightmaker.com/insight/44784/Basic-Climate-Model-101-Role-of-Oceans