University of Connecticut |
Program ActivitiesU.S.-BRAZIL HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIA PROGRAM
This curriculum will integrate marine sciences with policy-related knowledge and skills to enable students to contribute to the formulation of sound international environmental policies and protocols. Each partner in the CSC boasts a particular strength in marine sciences and coastal studies that will be the focus of its contributions to the curriculum. At UConn the focus will be integrated coastal management, a process by which rational decisions are made concerning the conservation and sustainable use of coastal resources and space. In addressing conflicts arising from competition and tradeoffs over multiple uses of coastal resources and the land-water interface, integrated coastal management helps overcome the fragmentation inherent in single sector approaches. At CSUF the program focus will be the ecology, geography, and geology of near-shore marine communities and adjacent coastal watersheds. Curricular emphasis will be on the biological populations and communities occupying these coastal habitats, impacts of human activities, and the tools, including marine protected areas, being proposed to improve management of coastal resources. The Department of Systematics and Ecology at UFPB will address conservation and management of estuarine and reef biota and their habitat, as well as on empowerment of coastal communities to participate in decision-making, emphasizing the role of marine protected areas and flagship species in marine conservation, public policies, and community-based management options. The Department of Marine Biology at UFF will develop a program focused on ecological processes and biological interactions in the subtropical upwelling ecosystem of the South Central Atlantic. Coastal fisheries and conservation of biodiversity in this area are sensitive matters, since many artisanal fishers exploit resources within the 5-mile coastal zone. Increased tourism and development of the coastal zone threaten the sustainability of traditional fisheries as well as the maintenance of natural marine biodiversity. Objective 2: Foster collaborative research on conservation and sustainable management of marine and coastal resources and governance of coastal resources. Collaborative research programs will address topics relevant to sustainable coastal resource management, such as aquaculture; dynamics of coastal populations and communities; design, implementation, and evaluation of marine protected areas; impacts and management of endangered and invasive species; and sustainable fisheries. |