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Sustainability 2010, 2(5), 1361-1388; doi:10.3390/su2051361

Article

Governing for Sustainable Coasts: Complexity, Climate Change, and Coastal Ecosystem Protection

Robin Kundis Craig*  and J.B. Ruhl

College of Law, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-1601, USA

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 19 March 2010; in revised form: 23 April 2010 / Accepted: 14 May 2010 / Published: 17 May 2010

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Laws and Sustainability)

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Abstract: The world’s coastal ecosystems are among the most complex on Earth, and they are currently being governed unsustainably, by any definition. Climate change will only add to this complexity, underscoring the necessity of finding new ways to govern for these ecosystems’ sustainable use. After reviewing the problems facing coastal ecosystems and innovations in their governance, this article argues that governance of coastal ecosystems must move to place-based adaptive management regimes that incorporate innovative and flexible regulatory mechanisms, such as market-based incentives.

Keywords: coastal ecosystems; sustainability; governance; adaptive management; place-based management; ecosystem-based management; market-based regulation; ecosystem services

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