The role of scientists in providing formal and informal information for the definition of guidelines, regulations or management plans for sandy beaches

Abstract. Sandy beaches are becoming subject to increasing attention of policy makers and planners. The importance of beaches as environments of economic relevance is generally recognized as well as the threats to their existence self, deriving from the increasing urbanization, on one hand and negative consequences of climate change both inland in the oceans, on the other hand. Policy makers of higher international levels have developed guidelines and regulations aiming at mitigating the negative effects of anthropogenic and natural pressures to the marine environments, including beaches. The question stays open about setting priorities when the implemented actions are conflicting. Coastal areas are managed locally under conflicting pressures of economic development and negative impacts to beach ecosystems, such as beach erosion, coastal waters pollution, etc. The inputs of a sound scientific research are necessary and asked for by managers at both levels, the international and the local one. In the framework of the three Euro-Mediterranean research projects, MECO, MEDCORE and WADI, we were witness to conflicts for the management of coastal resources among various stakeholders, often insurmountable without compromises. In order to avoid irreparable harms to the ecosystems, scientists should develop methods of clearly communicating the relevant results of scientific research to stakeholders, without unnecessary and often erroneous generalizations or simplification of the real world. The goal of this paper is to derive some lessons from case-studies, present formal and informal actions undertaken to encourage communication among stakeholders and raise awareness about such important and fragile ecotonal systems. The role of scientists in communicating the good information is discussed.