URBAN COASTALSUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE

at Northeastern University

CHALLENGES OF URBAN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS

Cities by the SeaMore than half of the world’s population lives by the coast, with a growing fraction in cities.More than two-thirds of the world’s megacities are on the coast.

90 percent of all marine species live along the coast.

BOSTON

HONG KONG

SHANGHAI

STOCKHOLM

CHALLENGES OF URBAN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS

Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of large bodies of water on Earth

Homeland Security95% of international cargo coming to the US arrives via ships.Ballast water in cargo ships carry invasive species that disrupt native ecosystems.

CHALLENGES OF URBAN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS

The EconomyCoastal areas contribute $1 trillion

to annual US GDP & support 60 million jobs

Nation’s ports: $700 billion/year

Economically, Boston is the 8th mostvulnerable coastal city in the world

CHALLENGES OF URBAN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS

OverfishingOne out of five people on the planet rely on fish as a primary source of protein.70% of the world’s fish species are either fully exploited or depleted.

Major economic impact from depleted

fisheries

CHALLENGES OF URBAN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS

Lack of understanding complex ecology impedes policy.

COASTAL SYSTEMS ARE AT GROUND ZERO FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Coastal ecosystems are the interface between the ocean and landAmong the most poorly understoodecosystems due to their complexity

Coupled Human-Natural Ecosystems

• Humans are the source of most problems- can we be part of the solution?

• Human societies are intimately coupled to our natural environment (whether we recognize it or not)

• We need to understand not just the few pristine systems left, but coupled human-natural ecosystems

New Marine Biology Major

CHRISTINE PRINCE“The Three Seas Program and the co-ops

available give unique and exciting opportunities to anyone who chooses this major.”

We Have Outstanding and Unique Coastal Sustainability Academic ProgramsThree Seas Marine Biology Program

Unparalleled Experiential Education

WHY NORTHEASTERN?

Hiring Faculty in Urban Coastal Sustainability Across the University

• Climate Change & Ecological Forecasting

• Genomics (Ocean Genome Legacy)

• Ocean Engineering & Remote Sensing

• Biodiversity & Ecosystem Function

• Fisheries Biology• Community & Evolutionary

Ecology• Biogeochemistry• Conservation Management &

Policy

Law & Policy Engineering

Science

Urban CoastalSustainability

WHY NORTHEASTERN?

A Few of Our Outstanding Faculty

RANDALL HUGHESBiodiversity, Conservation Biology

JONATHAN GRABOWSKIFisheries Biology, Ecology

Robotics, Coral Reef Ecology

JUSTIN RIESBiogeochemistry,

Ocean Acidification

NEW FACULTY HIRES

MARKPATTERSON

The ultimate example of living as part of the natural environmentFabien Cousteau’s Mission 31

Ability to study impacts of climate change continuously for an entire month (more from Mark)

WHY FABIEN COUSTEAU’S MISSION 31?

The ultimate example of living as part of the natural environment

WHY FABIEN COUSTEAU’S MISSION 31?

An unprecedented opportunity to communicate with the worldWHY FABIEN COUSTEAU’S MISSION 31?

MARINE SCIENCE CENTER AT NAHANT

Renovated Edwards Laboratory…

New state-of-the-art seawater delivery system

New Experimental Greenhouse and Tank Farm

The Marine Science Center

MSC IS AMONG THE ONLY MAJOR MARINE LABS IN THE WORLD CLOSE TO A MAJOR URBAN CENTER