Coastal Letters

Newsletter of the coastal and marine geography specialty group of the association of American geographers

Vol. 14, No. 1                               Website: http://aag_coma.homestead.com                                  February, 2002


Table of Contents

  1. Specialty Group Officers
  2. Membership Renewal Reminder
  3. Nominations Open
  4. Editor's Comments
  5. Call for Award Nominations: R.J. Russell Award
  6. Pre-Los Angeles Coastal Field Trip
  7. COMA Sponsored Sessions at AAG-2002 – Los Angeles
  8. COMA Related Sessions at AAG-2002 – Los Angeles
  9. Multi-Media Critiques Wanted
  10. Coastal Erosion on Discovery Channel
  11. Request for Digital Maps
  12. Coastal Sediments 2003 Conference: Call for Papers
  13. Upcoming Conferences
  14. Musings from the Chair - Klaus J Meyer-Arendt

Specialty Group Officers


Klaus J Meyer-Arendt, Chair				E-mail: kjma@uwf.edu
Dept. of Environmental Studies				Phone: (850) 474-2746
University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32514

Diane Horn, Vice-Chair					E-mail: d.horn@geog.bbk.ac.uk
Department of Geography
Birkbeck College
7-15 Gresse St
London W1P 2LL
England (UK)

Harry Jol, Secretary-Treasurer/Editor			E-mail: jolhm@uwec.edu
Department of Geography and Anthropology		Phone: (715) 836-3742
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
105 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire, WI  54702-4004

Philip L. Chaney, Member of the Board of Directors	E-mail: chanepl@auburn.edu
Department of Geography					Phone: (334) 844-3420 or 4074
104A Tichenor Hall
Auburn University, AL 36849

Michael Craghan, Member of the Board of Directors	E-mail: mcraghan@macges.org
Middle Atlantic Center for
Geography and Environmental Studies
PO Box 20
Manasquan, NJ 08736 

Steve Namikas, Member of the Board of Directors		E-mail:snamik1@lsu.edu
Department of Geography and Anthropology		Phone: (225) 578-6142
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Membership Renewal Reminder


Don't forget to renew your membership in the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group when you renew your membership with the AAG.  Our numbers have decreased over the years – remind your colleagues as well!

Nominations Open for Secretary-Treasurer/Newsletter Editor and
One Member to the Board of Directors!


Secretary-Treasurer Harry Jol and Board Member Michael Craghan’s terms are coming to end at the meeting in Los Angeles.  We will be opening up nominations for Secretary-Treasur and one Member of the Board of Directors.  According to the bylaws the description for secretary-treasurer is the person shall record the minutes of the specialty group business meetings, keep membership records, coordinate and distribute the specialty group newsletter, keep financial records, and administer the specialty group's financial affairs. The term of secretary-treasurer is three years, determined according to the timing of AAG annual meetings. The duties for the Board of Directors include: judging the Student Paper Merit Award, and serving on that committee under the direction of the vice chair. Members of the board shall also evaluate nominees and select a recipient for the R.J. Russell Award.  The positions holds a two-year term, as determined according to the timing of AAG annual meetings.  If you know of someone or you want to help out COMA, please pass along your nominations to Klaus J Meyer-Arendt or Diane Horn.

Editor’s Comments


1)      At the last COMA meeting we decided to convert over to an electronic copy of the newsletter – this is the first full issue that is electronic.  If you want a hardcopy please feel free to contact me.

2)      Have you been getting e-mails?  I recently took many e-mail addresses off the list due to incorrect addresses.  If you have not been receiving e-mails please send me your e-mail address and I will add you to the updated COMA list.

3)      Whether you are a new or long-standing member, please attend our Specialty Group meeting this year in Los Angeles  (March 20, 7:00 pm) as well as COMA related paper sessions on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  It’s a great way to get involved!

4)      The Student Paper Competition will be held Thursday at 10 am – we look forward to everyone’s participation.

5)      There is a lot happening at the LA meeting, please read through the newsletter and pass along the e-mail newsletter to another colleague.

6)      You can view the preliminary program for AAG 2000 – Los Angeles and the current jobs in geography listings on the AAG web site:   www.aag.org

7)      Welcome to all of you who have recently joined the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group (COMA).

8)      If you have items that you want to be distributed via the e-mail please forward them to Harry Jol.

9)      Any comments for future editions are always welcome. Thanks to everyone who provided items for this newsletter.  This is your newsletter so please forward items.

10)  This is my final newsletter for COMA as my term is up.  Thank you for opportunity!


Harry Jol, Secretary-Treasurer, Editor (jolhm@uwec.edu)

Call for Award Nominations: The R. J. Russell Award


Nominations for the R.J. Russell Award should be directed to the Vice-Chair – Diane Horn (d.horn@geog.bbk.ac.uk). Nominations for the current year should be made at least 2 weeks prior to the annual AAG meeting.  This specialty group award is presented in recognition of an individual's major contributions to the field of coastal or marine geography. These contributions may be in research, teaching, public service, and/or to the specialty group. Previous awardees include Jess Walker (1991), Fillmore Earney (1992), Norb Psuty (1993), Karl Nordstrom (1996), Doug Sherman (1997), Bernard Bauer (1999), Robin Davidson-Arnott (2000) and Patrik Hesp (2001).  The R. J. Russell Award is named in honor of Richard Joel Russell (1895-1971). He was Dean of the Graduate School at Louisiana State University for 12 years, an organizer of the Coastal Studies Institute (1954), president of both the Association of American Geographers (1948) and Geological Society of America (1957), and named to the National Academy of Sciences (1959).

 

Nominations are accepted from COMA members, but nominees do not have to be members of either the specialty group or the AAG. Two nominations are required for consideration for the Award. At least one of the nominations must include a complete letter of nomination which will include one paragraph describing the nominees contributions to the field of coastal or marine geography and/or to the special interest group and a list of the nominees relevant publications.

Pre-Los Angeles Meeting Coastal Field Trip


COMA members interested in a pre-Los Angeles Annual Meeting one-day informal coastal field trip on Sunday, March 17 should contact Wayne Engstrom at Cal State Fullerton (714 278-3384) or (wengstrom@fullerton.edu).  Focusing on the Orange County coastline from Huntington Beach to San Onofre, tentative stops are planned for Bolsa Chica wetland, Upper Newport Bay salt marsh, beach, marine terrace, and 1930s beach cottages at Crystal Cove State Park, coastal erosional forms at Diver's Cove in Laguna Beach, San Mateo Point (Trestles) surfing area in San Clemente, and massive coastal landslides at San Onofre State Beach.  COMA members arriving later but interested in the trip can obtain a map and field trip stop descriptions from Wayne.

COMA Sponsored Sessions at AAG’2002 – Los Angeles


Wednesday, March 20

 

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.                          Session 4710               Room: Santa Anita C

 

Coastal and Marine Specialty Group Business Meeting

 

Thursday, March 21

 

8:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.                          Session 5125               Room: La Brea

 

Coastal Geomorphology

(Sponsored by Coastal and Marine Specialty Group)

 

Organizer: Klaus J. Meyer-Arendt, University of West Florida.

Chair: Diane P. Horn, School of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London.

 

8:00 a.m. - Diane P. Horn, School of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London, High-frequency bed level changes in the swash zone on gravel beaches

8:20 a.m. - Christopher A. Houser, Scarborough College Coastal Research Group, University of Toronto at Scarborough, The morphodynamics of a lacustrine multiple-barred nearshore over the ice-free season

8:40 a.m. - Deanna van Dijk, Department of Geology, Geography and Environmental Studies, Calvin College; Annelia L. Tinklenberg, Department of Geology, Geography and Environmental Studies, Calvin College, Foredune Growth during Low Lake Levels on the East Coast of Lake Michigan

9:00 a.m. - Patrick A. Hesp, Massey University, Dynamics of Parabolic Dunes, Manawatu Coast, New Zealand

9:20 a.m. - Norbert P. Psuty, Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey; Jeffrey Pace, Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey; Bruce Lane, Gateway National Recreation Area, NPS, Sediment Recycling: An Approach to Shoreline Management, Sandy Hook, Gateway National Recreation Area

 

10:00 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.                      Session 5225               Room: La Brea

 

Coastal & Marine Student Paper Session

(Sponsored by Coastal and Marine Specialty Group).

 

Organizer: Klaus J. Meyer-Arendt, University of West Florida

Chair: Klaus J. Meyer-Arendt, University of West Florida

 

10:00 a.m. - Jim P. Mcdermott, University of Southern California, Sediment-level oscillations in the swash zone.

10:20 a.m. - Jean T. Ellis, Texas A&M University; Burton H. Jones, University of Southern California; Douglas J. Sherman, Texas A&M University, Identifying Potential Offshore Sources of Bacterial Contamination at Huntington Beach, CA

10:40 a.m. - Andreas C. Baas, University of Southern California, Department of Geography, An investigation of aeolian streamers and spatio-temporal variability in sand transport by wind

11:00 a.m. - Matthew C. Peros, Department of Geography, University of Toronto; Anthony M. Davis, University of Toronto, Coastal Geoarchaeology at Los Buchillones, a Taino Site in North Central Cuba

 

1:00 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.                          Session 5425               Room: La Brea

 

Coastal Weather and Shoreline Changes

(Sponsored by Coastal and Marine Specialty Group).

Organizer: Klaus J. Meyer-Arendt, University of West Florida

Chair: Klaus J. Meyer-Arendt, University of West Florida.

 

1:00 p.m. - Douglas W. Gamble, Dept of Earth Sciences, UNC at Wilmington; Tony Crump, Dept. Of Earth Sciences, UNC at Wilmington; Darren Parnell, Dept. Of Geography, University of South Carolina; Grady Dixon, Dept. of Geography, University of Georgia, Latitudinal Variation of Rainfall on San Salvador, Bahamas

1:20 p.m. - Philip Chaney, Auburn University, Tropical Cyclone Activity in Alabama: 1886-1999.

1:40 p.m. - Klaus J. Meyer-Arendt, University of West Florida; Kristal E. Flanders, University of West Florida, Soundside shoreline erosion and beach nourishment, Pensacola Beach, Fl

2:00 p.m. - Richard C. Daniels, Washington State Department of Transportation; Diana McCandless, Washington State Department of Ecology, Shoreline Change Rates within the Columbia River Littoral Cell, USA

 

 

Saturday, March 21

 

2:00 p.m. - 3:40 p.m.                          Session 7418               Room: Los Cerritos

 

GIS in Support of Marine Protected Areas, Reserves, and Sanctuaries I

(Sponsored by GIS Specialty Group, Coastal and Marine Specialty Group, Remote Sensing Specialty Group).

 

Organizers: Dawn J. Wright, Oregon State University; Barbara L. E. Walker, University of California at Santa Barbara.

Chair: Dawn J. Wright, Oregon State University.

 

2:00 p.m. - Dawn J. Wright, Oregon State University

2:01 p.m. - Dawn J. Wright, Oregon State University; Ken Crouse, Oregon State University, GIS Capacity Building for the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, American Samoa

2:21 p.m. - Florence L. Wong, U.S. Geological Survey; Stephen L. Eittreim, U.S. Geological Survey,  GIS for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Continental Shelf

2:41 p.m. – Guy R. Cochrane, USGS; Peter L. Haaker, California Department of Fish and Game, White Abalone habitat GIS derived from sidescan sonar data

3:01 p.m. - Robert Aguirre, NOAA, Why 3D GIS is Perfect for Marine Protected Areas: Examples from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska

 

4:00 p.m. - 5:40 p.m.                          Session 7518               Room: Los Cerritos

 

GIS in Support of Marine Protected Areas, Reserves, and Sanctuaries II

(Sponsored by GIS Specialty Group, Coastal and Marine Specialty Group, Remote Sensing Specialty Group)

 

Organizers: Dawn J. Wright, Oregon State University; Barbara L. E. Walker, University of California at Santa Barbara

Chair: Barbara L. E. Walker, University of California at Santa Barbara.

 

4:00 p.m. - Barbara L. E. Walker, University of California at Santa Barbara

4:01 p.m. - Barbara L. E. Walker, University of California at Santa Barbara, The Politics of Mapping Marine Protected Areas in the Pacific

4:21 p.m. - Jeffrey J. Hemphill, Graduate Student, Department of Geography; Joseph Scepan, Senior Staff Researcher, Department of Geography, The California Marine Protected Areas Database: Compilation and Accuracy Issues

4:21 p.m. - Jeffrey J. Hemphill, Graduate Student, Department of Geography; Joseph Scepan, Senior Staff Researcher, Department of Geography, The California Marine Protected Areas Database: Compilation and Accuracy Issues

4:41 p.m. - Richard D. Wright, San Diego State University, GIS in Support of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve

5:01 p.m. - Philip N. Hooge, USGS Alaska Biological Science Center; Elizabeth R. Hooge, USGS Alaska Biological Science Center; Bill W. Eichenlaub, National Park Service, Glacier Bay National Park, Oceanographic Analyst Extension to ArcView: Multidimensional Analysis Tools within a GIS Environment

COMA Related Papers at AAG’2002 – Los Angeles


Wednesday, March 20

 

8:00 a.m. - Room: Marriott - 306

Allen, Thomas R. (Old Dominion University), "Mapping and Morphostatic Analyses of Landforms Associated with Sea Level Rise in Coastal Virginia."

In Paper Session: "3-D & High Spatial Resolution Sensing"

 

1:00 p.m. - Room: Santa Barbara C

Caulkins, Joshua L. (Hunter College, CUNY), "Quantitative GIS Analysis of 3-Dimensional Spit Evolution."

In Paper Session: "Remote Sensing and GIS"

 

1:00 p.m. - Room: Pasadena

Krolick, James. (University of South Florida), "Using Landsat Thematic Mapper to explain geomorphological characteristics of Dungeness Spit, Washington."

In Poster Session: "Environmental Studies"

 

1:00 p.m. - Room: Pasadena

Ludwig, Noel A. (University of Hawaii and California State U. at Long Beach), "Gold in Them Thar Hills: Do We Need to Protect Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents?"

In Poster Session: "Environmental Studies"

 

1:00 p.m. - Room: Pasadena

Smith, Alexander J. (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Marine Research Institute), "Limitations of Tracking the Florida Manatee in Everglades National Park, Fl."

In Poster Session:

"Environmental Studies"

 

Thursday, March 21

 

1:00 p.m. - Room: San Pedro

Catto, Norm. (Dept of Geography Memorial University of Newfoundland), "Natural Processes and Anthropogenic Influences, Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, Canada: Resistible Forces meet Moveable Objects."

In Illustrated Paper Session: "Human Impacts in Geomorphology"

 

3:00 p.m. - Room: San Pedro

Elizabeth Watson, "Environmental History of a Holocene Tidal Salt Marsh near San Jose, California."

In Illustrated Paper Session: "Environmental Changes"

 

5:00 p.m. - Room: La Cienega

Ricketts, Peter J. (Okanagan University College), "East Coast of North America Strategic Assessment Project."

In Paper Session: "Economic Geography, Environment and Resources"

 

Friday, March 22

 

10:00 a.m. - Room: Pasadena Tchakerian, Vatche P. (Texas A&M University), "Linkages between coastal, fluvial and aeolian systems: the Yavaros mega-lagoon complex, southern Sonora, Mexico.."

In Poster Session: "Geomorphology and Climatology"

 

1:00 p.m. - Room: Pasadena

Dobosiewicz, John F. (Kean University), "A Coastal Flood Vulnerability Index for a Developed Estuary, Raritan Bay, New Jersey."

In Poster Session: "GIS and Spatial Analysis"

 

1:00 p.m. - Room: Pasadena

Winiarz, Nancy H. (Baylor University). "Marine GIS: A Barrier Island Application."

In Poster Session: "GIS and Spatial Analysis"

 

1:00 p.m. - Room: La Cienega

Witztum, Elizabeth R. (San Diego State University), "Analyzing Direct Impacts of Recreation Activity on Coastal Sage Scrub using Very High-Resolution Multispectral Imagery."

In Paper Session: "Remote Sensing Specialty Group Student Paper Competition"

 

Saturday, March 23

 

4:00 p.m. - Room: Marriott - 307

Hutchinson, Teresa H. (The Ohio State University), "From Fisher to Tour Boats? Changing Livelihoods of the Cabo Rojo Fishers."

In Paper Session: "Postive Prospects? The Role of Individual Agency in Development Processes"

 

4:00 p.m. - Room: Marriott - 302

Romano, Maddalena. (Graduate School and University Center, CUNY),"Coastal Engineering and the Environment—GIS Pilot Study of Beach Nourishment and Ecological Response."

In Paper Session: "Geographic Research Projects with the Engineering Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers"

Multi-Media Critiques Wanted


Do you use any CD-ROMS or videos when teaching coastal or marine geography? (e.g. Beach: A River of Sand).  On Don Ziegler's suggestion, the next time you show or view a coastal or marine video, take a moment to jot down its title, brief summary, strengths and weaknesses. Send this information to the Newsletter editors. We will include a column in upcoming newsletters as well as have it posted on the COMA web site.

Coastal Erosion on Discovery Channel


You might want to let the members know that there is a documentary on coastal erosion coming up on the Discovery Channel.  It's the third of three in a series entitled "Stormproof", the first two were on hurricanes and earthquakes.  They are overviews of how engineers are responding to the theme's threat.  The coastal erosion segment might be airing on March 4 although I can't seem to independently confirm that at the moment.  It could be a useful video for the classroom.  (From Michael Craghan)

Request for Digital Maps


I am looking for some data. I would like to find a source for digital maps (ARC/INFO or Arc View files) of the geographic or biogeographic regions of the world's oceans. Ecoregions would also be usable. I was hoping that there would be a way to send this out to the Biogeography and the COMA lists or to any parties that might be of some assistance. I appreciate any help you can provide me on this. Thanks!


Tom Carlson, Department of Earth Science, 200 Traphagen Hall, Montana State University, Bozeman MT 59715, Phone: 406.994.6912.  E-Mail: kryoung@mail.utexas.edu

 

Coastal Sediments 2003 Conference: Call for Papers


As you might already be aware the next Coastal Sediments '03 conference is scheduled for May 2003, in Clearwater Beach FL. A wide range of topics for talk and poster sessions have been suggested (see the web site: (www.coastalsediments.org) and I have been asked to solicit abstracts and organize a session(s) on the topic of sea-level rise over the next century. This is an important topic, both because relative SLR is one of the key drivers controlling the form and evolution of coastal margins through sediment transport and because future SLR is increasingly understood to be a major societal risk to most coastal regions around the world.


I am sending this note to a broad array of colleagues who might have interest in submitting an abstract; I would suggest we mostly focus on studies of SL change during the recent geologic past up to the present, efforts to model future risks, and new techniques and ideas on measuring SLR and better understanding the role of SLR in effecting coastal change over varying spatial and temporal scales. Studies of large lake-level change/coastal response are also appropriate for this session. We are encouraging participation of students in CS '03 by offering reduced registration fees so feel free to pass on this email to your students, as well as other colleagues that I might have missed. And last, keep in mind that there will be opportunities in this session for talks as well as posters.


Pease give this some thought and consider submitting an abstract(s). The deadline for abstracts is 15 July 2002.


Contact me if you have questions or ideas. S. Jeffress Williams, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, 384 Woods Hole Rd., Woods Hole, MA  02543  E-mail: jwilliams@usgs.gov.

Upcoming Conferences


AAG'2002, Feb. 27 – March 3, Los Angeles, CA, 98th Annual Meeting, for further information see: http://www.aag.org

 

7th International Coastal Symposium 2002, March 25 – 29.

Full details of conference abstract submission, fees and other updated information can be found at: http://www.science.ulst.ac.uk/ics2002/  Potential delegates who have not already registered their interest are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

 

10th International Conference on Trapped Electron (Luminescence and ESR) Dating, 24-28 June, 2002, Reno, Nevada.

Specialists and appliers are invited to attend LED2002, on the campus of the University of Nevada-Reno, sponsored by the Desert Research Institute.  New developments and applications (to paleolimnology, paleoseismology, paleoclimatology, Quaternary geology, geomorphology[including coastal], etc.) will be presented. Invited presentations by experts will provide overviews of some topics. Both oral and poster presentations will be accommodated. Further information is available at the conference web site http://www.dri.edu/DEES/LED2002 or from the Conference Secretary at LED2002@dri.edu.

 

International Conference on Aeolian Research 5 (ICAR5) in conjunction with the Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystem, Soil Erosion Network (GCTE-SEN), July 22-25, 2002, Lubbock, Texas (www.csrl.ars.usda.gov/wewc/icar5/icar5body.html)

 

Managing Shared Waters – Towards Transboundary Coastal Ecosystems, 2002, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Providing support for the implementation of integrated water resources management forms the basis for Managing Shared Waters. The main goal of the conference is to address the capacity needs of the international community to implement sustainable water resource management practices in real situations. Finding sustainable solutions for managing water resources requires capacity in several specific areas: adequate knowledge, information sharing and education to recognize and address the issue; available tools and technology to deal with the problem; appropriate institutional arrangements and partnerships for oversight and regulation of the resource; and products and services that ensure that these resources are protected for future generations. These areas will serve as focuses for presentations and workshop discussions throughout the conference.  For more information, contact: Web: www.pollutionprobe.org/managing.shared.waters/index.htm

 

If you know of any related conferences coming up in 2002/2003 or if you have announcements or newsworthy items concerning you, your department, or agency, please take a moment to send them to the newsletter editor:  Harry Jol (jolhm@uwec.edu) Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54702.  Thanks!

 

Musings from the Chair -Klaus J Meyer-Arendt


Hello, CoMa members,

            We're getting real close to the AAG, and it looks like we have a good meeting coming up.  We have five sponsored sessions, including Dawn Wright's two GIS sessions on Saturday.  After our Wednesday night business meeting, we have three sessions in a row on Thursday.  Wayne Engstrom will be leading an informal coastal trip on the Sunday before the AAG meeting, and I urge you all to contact him to reserve space on that trip.

            I haven't received any nominations for the R.J. Russsell Award yet, so we need to move fast if we want to give an award this year.  Last year's award winner--Patrick Hesp--will be presenting this year, incidentally.  At least two other Russell Award winners are on the program, including Norb Psuty and my Ph.D. advisor H. Jesse Walker who doesn't know what the word 'retirement' means.

            Anyway, I'm looking forward to a great coastal meeting. Personally, I'll be headed out to Catalina Island and staying in Redondo Beach prior to the convention, and I hope the weather will as cooperative as it has been in the last days of February.

            See ya'll soon.

Klaus (Meyer-Arendt)