1. The social construction of the coast: conflicting images and perceptions of the coast, and their implications for coastal science
Hans von Storch
Institute for Coastal Research GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht, Germany
PSA, Okinawa 15. June 2007

2. The coastal zone ... Most people live here.
Provides a large variety of services and goods (e.g., fisheries, energy, aesthetic pleasure)
Is continuously changed by man.

3. RADARSAT ScanSAR Image 9.June1996

5. Shipping

6. Fishing

7. Off shore industry

8. mariculture

9. Energy

10. tourism

11. Deposition of waste

12. Military use

13. The coastal zone ... Needs to be managed.
Management needs a scientific basis.
A variety of different perceptions of the coast prevail within society and need to be be balanced.
Natural and social/cultural sciences needed for guiding the process of exploiting the full potential of the coastal zone in future economies and societies.

14. DPSIR framework Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response
as derived from OECD and European Environmental Agency;

15. Coastal research should be designed to assist the public in gaining an understanding of the phenomena and perspectives. This task needs:
Interpretive analysis of risks
Presentation of scientific concepts and notions in a cultural and social context.
For accomplishing these needs, cooperation between natural scientists and social and cultural scientists is urgently required.

16. For a long time, the „market of knowledge“ was dominated by science, specifically by natural science. Today various forms of knowledge claims are competing on this market. This is in particular so with respect to knowledge about the environment, which is widely used to support various normative views of different stake holders.

17. Competing knowledge forms are
Pre-scientific and outdated, or discredited, scientific knowledge.
Reinterpreted knowledge (media), resulting from a selection and metamorphosis of scientific knowledge for public information.
Science specifically designed to represent vested interests.
Ideological, religious and ethical knowledge.
Everyday knowledge.
Traditional (indigenous) knowledge.

18. manageable Natural science „The coast can be computed and
is manageable.“
manageable

19. Voss, pers. comm.

20. endagered Environmentalists „Man is destroying nature.“
Der Mensch zerstört
die Küste

21. unadulterated Health industry / tourism
„The coast is natural. Its purity and originality makes it a place for relaxation, mental and bodily recovery.“
unadulterated

22. externally controlled
Local interests
externally controlled
„Locals know what is best for their region. They
don‘t need governmental regulations.“

23. threatening Coastal safety
„Nature needs to be controlled to ensure safety.“

24. The different forms of knowledge claims compete in daily conversations and the public discourse.
For a knowledge claim to „win“ on the knowledge market, it must allow for practical implementation. Also, it must be plausible, i.e. be consistent with traditional knowledge.
Natural science knowledge often lacks both characteristics (applicability, plausibility), because this type of knowledge is disaggregated without allowing an overall assessment of a problem and its solution. The integration of different knowledge aspects is needed.