Sefton Coast Forum 2003
Research and Management Workshop
Introduction
There has been considerable output from a wide variety of researchers over the last few decades and much is known about the long-term evolution of the Sefton Coast. But most of the information and scientific understanding of the processes and history of the coastal zone is not with the domain of the general public and it has been disseminated chiefly amongst the academic community or within specialist groups.
The wider public, then, are often unfamiliar with the aim and meaning of research, its role and the implications of any findings by researchers. However, research is conducted to provide information to the community as a whole, through research networks and groups to education establishments, planners, land managers and users.
Research aims to increase our knowledge and understanding of
the processes operating in the coastal zone,
how the coast has changed in the past and about how it might change in the future
the relationship between the physical environments and human activity
how we use the coastal zone
how the coast should be managed.
In spite of such aims much of the information is inaccessible to the public since it is held in Higher Education establishments, in academic journals to which the general public have little access or because there is no effective means of dissemination. Worse, the corpus of information as it exists has little cohesion or structure and there is a woeful lack of collaboration between academics and institutions. Because of this lack of cohesion, the research needs of all the groups involved in the coastal zone have not always been clearly identified.
The Workshop
This workshop aimed to open discussion between interested parties about the way forward with research in the coastal zone and asked several key questions:
What do we want research to tell us?
What will benefit the community of decision makers and users of the coastal zone?
What are the problems?
After an initial introduction, the whole group was divided into smaller units of five or six individuals. Each sub-group was then asked to 'brainstorm' the questions above, listing their top 5 priorities for research in the next decade. The sub-groups then reported back to the whole group for discussion and collation of ideas.
What do we want research to tell us?
Several major themes were recognised by all the sub-groups:
The impacts of climate change on the coastal zone (including the impacts upon flora and fauna) and in particular the impact on sea levels.
The timescales involved in such changes especially since little has been done to look at high-resolution changes (yearly to decadal).
Radioactivity and pollution in the coastal zone.
The management of the coastal zone, in particular the ability of management groups to anticipate and react to changes at the coast.
The understanding of sedimentary dynamics and the modelling of these.
The interaction of the various partnership and management groups with the public - in particular, issues around communication between groups.
What will benefit the community of decision makers and users of the coastal zone?
Several key factors were identified:
There is a serious need for a research strategy for the whole of the Sefton Coastal Zone.
The needs of the communities in the coastal zone must be identified.
Knowledge and understanding of the past must be used to inform the future; this will help with development of predictive modelling.
There must be standardisation of cross-thematic monitoring.
There must be coordination of grant applications to finance research activity.
Research must be accessible to all and therefore there is an urgent need to audit the research resources as they stand at the present time. Similarly, if research is to be accessible it must be in a format suitable for dissemination, not just within the reach of the academics or scientists.
The management groups involved with the coast must be well coordinated so that there is no serious overlapping of research activity or funding.
The whole group was in broad agreement that the Sefton Coast Partnership could take the lead in the development of a research strategy through which it could and should influence other management and planning organisations in the region.
What are the problems?
Much of the research information available is about discreet areas rather than the whole coastal zone.
Much of the information available is not user friendly and readily available to the general public.
There has been considerable overlap of research projects in the past.
There is simply not enough money available for research projects.
There is no coordinated research strategy within the coastal zone, nor any over-riding theme driving research programmes.
There exists a hierarchy of organisations with considerable overlap in terms of direction and need. This cannot be cost efficient either financially or in terms of the time spent conducting research projects. It also suggests a serious lack of communication within and between the various organisations which is worrying.
Solutions?
It was suggested by many that a cohesive research strategy for the Sefton Coast is the most important priority and should be developed in the near future.
There should be an audit of the information bases available in the region.
The issue of funding must be looked at, particularly in the light of any identified research topics for the near future.
The problem of communication between the various management and planning bodies needs addressing. This would go someway to helping the funding issue.
The research community should meet regularly to report findings, collaborate on projects and review progress. (N.B. the first Sefton Coast Research Partnership meeting was held at Edge Hill in January 2003).
Workshop leader
Dr Annie Worsley
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