Abstract:
The Coastal Transects Analysis Model is a simple visualization and decision-support tool that helps coastal managers, policy makers, coastal communities and other stakeholders in addressing multiple present and future demands in coastal areas. CTAM describes and analyzes, in a simplified fashion, the complex interactions between natural and human systems. The current emphasis of the tool is on the interaction between fishing and other coastal activities on fisheries and aquatic ecosystems. CTAM is user-friendly with interactive features and attractive visualization. For the basic model, data required are ‘descriptive’ such as physical characteristics of the coasts, existing habitats and resources, general information about fishing and other coastal activities, management measures and coastal issues. An interactive image of coastal transects is generated as users describe their coasts. Each coastal area is classified based on their characteristics into one transect type, which can then be compared with others around the world. This comparative capability enables learning and sharing of knowledge among stakeholders, making CTAM a useful participatory tool for coastal planning and decision-making. Detailed information about the coast is required for the advanced model, in order to describe and analyze flows of resources, cash and labor in coastal areas. Specifically, model users are asked to provide data (often as percentage or relative weights) related to habitats, fisheries (such as catches, number of fishers, number of boats, etc.), as well as information about distribution of catches, ownership of boats and origin of crew members. The results from the advanced CTAM are animated changes in the size of fish pool (representing the interconnectivity between fisheries and other coastal activities) and arrows showing flows of fish, cash and labour related to different types of fisheries (e.g., small-scale, large-scale, inshore, offshore). CTAM is a free on-line, interactive tool available for all Internet users.
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