Urban cities generate considerable potential for ecological disturbance leading to environmental degradation (Programme 2: Anthropogenic Disturbances of Coastal Habitats). In particular, there are problems for organisms on hard and soft substrata because of building jetties, seawalls, pilings, etc. Human disturbances include foraging for bait and food and disposal of wastes. The research to understand ecological changes due to these disturbances is time-consuming and long-term, particularly when experimental analyses of processes during disturbances are planned. Predicting, measuring and interpreting impacts are hamstrung by poor sampling and analysis - often dictated by inadequate statutory requirements for Environmental Impact Statements. One major problem is that natural ecological assemblages of species vary enormously from time to time and place to place. Thus, even when undisturbed by people, ecological patterns are very different from place to place and change rapidly from time to time. Commercial fishing, recreational fishing and aquaculture can all cause impacts other than their direct effects on the species being harvested. Trawling, for example, has potentially large-scale consequences for animals and plants on and in the sea-floor. Aquaculture causes artificial installations and potential contamination by wastes and nutrients. Ecologically sustainable fisheries and aquaculture absolutely requires decision-making based on well-developed ecological understanding of those indirect effects. To date, the focus by government departments has been almost exclusively on direct consequences of the harvesting. The Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities (EICC) has generated many scientific papers and theses from research projects on the effects of fishing, aquaculture and associated activities. The link to the URL provided in this record provides a link to this research.

Deterioration of coastal marine and estuarine habitats is inevitable in areas where human development is active. This is particularly the case in New South Wales (and throughout Australia) where a very large proportion of the population live on the edges of the coast-line. To sustain biodiversity and to maintain ecological processes and functions (for its own sake or for anthropocentric, human reasons), it will be necessary, for a very long time, to recreate, rebuild or repair habitats (Programme 3: Restoration of Disturbed Coastal Habitats). The science of restoration of coastal habitats is virtually unknown, and there is no sensible theory or understanding of how to create habitat that develops ecological function and maintains natural biodiversity. Around cities, there must be extensive infrastructure for ports, runways, bridges, roads, sea-walls, etc. Most of these create very alien habitats. For example, sea-walls are vertical and relatively featureless compared with the irregular, mostly horizontal natural rocky shores. The Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities (EICC) has generated many scientific papers and theses from research projects on changing urban structures as a form of restoration. The link to the URL provided in this record provides a link to this research. In addition, there is research on the ways discarded objects (e.g. old cars) on the sea-floor can replace lost subtidal habitat for animals and plants and what are the overall consequences for fauna and flora when rubbish is removed from areas of an urban harbour.

Research is focussed on the processes causing and maintaining patterns of distribution and abundance of animals and plants in coastal habitats (Program 1 - Ecology in Coastal Habitats). Without a good understanding of the ecology of species in these habitats, the interactions among the species and the relationships among patches of similar or different habitat, it is not possible to solve problems in the management of coastal change. Current research efforts are focused on methods for understanding spatial scales of variation in abundances of single species and of complex sets of species. Without this research, it is impossible to predict the consequences of human changes to coastal habitats, nor is it possible to make coherent plans for marine reserves. The Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities (EICC) is also very active in experimental analyses of biodiversity in different habitats and, particularly, how to measure changes through time and differences in space in the complex, interacting assemblages of species that make up coastal biodiversity. Other research projects are testing hypotheses from models about the processes linking ecological functions in a habitat and the local variations in diversity of the animals that bring about these functions. Without this research, conservation of biodiversity, restoration of habitats and understanding and managing impacts are impossible goals for Australian coastal communities. The (EICC) has generated many scientific papers and theses from research projects aimed at developing and improving the methods used to investigate ecological patterns and processes. The link to the URL provided in this record provides a link to this research.

Understanding how ecological and cultural resources may change in the future is an important component of conservation planning and for the implementation of long-term environmental monitoring. We modeled six future scenarios of urbanization and sea level rise to investigate their potential effects on the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative's Priority Resources (PFLCC 2016), which were identified as important for conservation through a cooperative multi-partner effort to prioritize conservation efforts on a state-wide scale. These data represent conservation targets for the Coastal Uplands at present, and under six future scenarios of sea level rise and urbanization.

Understanding how ecological and cultural resources may change in the future is an important component of conservation planning and for the implementation of long-term environmental monitoring. We modeled six future scenarios of urbanization and sea level rise to investigate their potential effects on the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative's Priority Resources (PFLCC 2016), which were identified as important for conservation through a cooperative multi-partner effort to prioritize conservation efforts on a state-wide scale. These data represent conservation targets for the Coastal Uplands at present, and under six future scenarios of sea level rise and urbanization.

Deterioration of coastal marine and estuarine habitats is inevitable in areas where human development is active. This is particularly the case in New South Wales (and throughout Australia) where a very large proportion of the population live on the edges of the coast-line. To sustain biodiversity and to maintain ecological processes and functions (for its own sake or for anthropocentric, human reasons), it will be necessary, for a very long time, to recreate, rebuild or repair habitats (Programme 3: Restoration of Disturbed Coastal Habitats). The science of restoration of coastal habitats is virtually unknown, and there is no sensible theory or understanding of how to create habitat that develops ecological function and maintains natural biodiversity. Most projects on restoration of habitat have unclear or no defined aims. Where there are clear aims, it is unusual, if not rare, to find any assessment of whether the aims are being achieved. The Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities (EICC)'s research in the area of ecology includes development and testing of protocols to allow assessment of the progress and achievements of programmes of restoration. This is complex because, like assessments of impacts, any actual restoration must be detectable against large natural variation in numbers and types of animals and plants from place to place and time to time. Also, the goals of restoration cannot depend on vague hopes of "restoring a balance" when it is known there is no "balance" to restore. So, sampling and experimental design, logical structures for statistical analysis and interpretation of results must all be developed, tested and improved. The EICC has generated many scientific papers and theses from research projects on the development and testing of protocols to allow assessment of the progress and achievements of programs of restoration. The link to the URL provided in this record provides a link to this research.

Deterioration of coastal marine and estuarine habitats is inevitable in areas where human development is active. This is particularly the case in New South Wales (and throughout Australia) where a very large proportion of the population live on the edges of the coast-line. To sustain biodiversity and to maintain ecological processes and functions (for its own sake or for anthropocentric, human reasons), it will be necessary, for a very long time, to recreate, rebuild or repair habitats (Programme 3: Restoration of Disturbed Coastal Habitats). The science of restoration of coastal habitats is virtually unknown, and there is no sensible theory or understanding of how to create habitat that develops ecological function and maintains natural biodiversity. The biodiversity of animals and plants on rocky shores and in subtidal kelp-beds is vast, complex and variable in space and time. It is very different on many artificial hard surfaces (pilings, sea-walls, etc.) from that on natural rocky shores. As a result, it is necessary to find ways to change the construction of these essential infrastructural developments to enhance their capacity to provide suitable habitat for the natural fauna and flora of our coast-line. The Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities (EICC) has generated many scientific papers and theses from research projects on the restoration of intertidal and subtidal habitats. The link to the URL provided in this record provides a link to this research.

Understanding how ecological and cultural resources may change in the future is an important component of conservation planning and for the implementation of long-term environmental monitoring. We modeled six future scenarios of urbanization and sea level rise to investigate their potential effects on the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative's Priority Resources (PFLCC 2016), which were identified as important for conservation through a cooperative multi-partner effort to prioritize conservation efforts on a state-wide scale. These data represent conservation targets for the Freshwater Aquatics at present, and under six future scenarios of sea level rise and urbanization.

Understanding how ecological and cultural resources may change in the future is an important component of conservation planning and for the implementation of long-term environmental monitoring. We modeled six future scenarios of urbanization and sea level rise to investigate their potential effects on the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative's Priority Resources (PFLCC 2016), which were identified as important for conservation through a cooperative multi-partner effort to prioritize conservation efforts on a state-wide scale. These data represent conservation targets for the Freshwater Aquatics at present, and under six future scenarios of sea level rise and urbanization.