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Coastal ecosystems receive intense interest from science and management because they are found in many of our most prized, and most endangered, regions. The protection of the unique processes that take place in these ecosystems requires a partnership between ecologists, managers and planners. Experienced in the challenges of coastal systems, the contributors to this book provide multidisciplinary guidance to the assessment and management of environmental impacts caused by development. This book is written by and for not only scientists but also for anyone who influences the management and policy in coastal regions. Each chapter presents an issue important to these systems, giving first a nontechnical summary of the issue and review of the current state of the knowledge, followed by data and a more detailed discussion for those readers wanting a deeper background. In this way, the book is intended both as a practical guide accessible to nonscientists as well as a rigorous scientific source book.While many of the included case studies are drawn from longterm studies in the southeast United States, the examples and lessons are relevant for ecologists, planners, resource managers, policymakers, and others working in all coastal environments.