Shona K. Paterson Arleen O’Donnell

I. Introduction

The values and priorities of society as expressed by our social, political, and economic systems drive coastal management. Therefore, the way in which different shorelines are managed in different ways for various purposes is a reflection of what society wants from those shorelines. Shorelines provide a variety of important regional and national social services including tourism, recreation, fisheries, trade, and aesthetic and cultural value. Many of these benefits are nonmarket values and so are not captured by traditional economic tools based on market transactions. Understanding how people benefit from the services provided by shorelines, and how those users may respond to the biophysical changes in the ecosystem over time, can help guide management strategies and regulations.

Predictions of shoreline change through erosion and accretion have serious implications for coastal communities as well as policy makers at all levels of government (National Assessment Synthesis Team, 2000; Zhang, Douglas, & Leatherman, 2004). Sea-level rise, increased frequency and intensity of storms, and amplified flooding episodes influence the rate of shoreline change and increase the vulnerability of individuals, households, communities, and cultures (Cutter & Emrich, 2006; Heinz Center, 2000; Wu, Yarnal, & Fisher, 2002). Demand for uses of the shoreline, and the subsequent pressure for development, places a high economic and social value on coastal property (Camfield & Morang, 1996). Increases in levels of recreation and tourism, for example, often lead to communities that depend on the tourism/recreation industry and its supporting infrastructure, therefore making hazard reduction an essential consideration for public officials. The need for economic and ecological balance has never been greater, with growing pressure to protect ecosystem services while allowing development needed for economic health. The ecological ramifications of natural hazards have been studied over time ( U.S. EPA. 2008, CCSP, 2009), but it is important to identify the major social and economic effects of shoreline change to ensure that the human dimensions of this issue are also integrated into the management planning processes underway at different levels of government (Boruff, Emrich, & Cutter, 2005).

This report identifies the major social and economic effects of shoreline change and analyzes how those effects are manifested in four regions: the Great Lakes, the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico.