ABSTRACT
Portsmouth lies in the centre of the South coast of England. The Solent is located at a transitional point between different biogeographic realms resulting in the existence of a rich variety of species, often at the margins of their natural range and, therefore, highly fragile. The establishment of the Centre reflected recognition that coastal zone management was a necessary response to the increasing pressures on coastal resources, locally, nationally and world-wide. These three groups, Economics and Management of Aquatic Resources (CEMARE), River and Coastal Environments Research (RACER) and Centre for Coastal Zone Management (CCZM), encompass the coastal researchers most concerned with coastal management issues. RACER comprises a team of coastal and fluvial geomorphologists operating within the Department of Geography at the University. C. W. Finkl states that the educational process must be integrative and responsive to long term societal needs. The course has been developed to increase understanding of resource management in the coastal and marine environments.
