LOICZ Typology

The global scope of LOICZ and the constraints of human budgets and financial resources, necessitate the development of an objective typology of coastal units to serve as a sampling framework and to determine the appropriate weighting for preparing global syntheses, scenarios and models on the basis of limited spatial and temporal research data. Resources to carry out LOICZ are finite and those available can be used more efficiently if they are focused in key geographic coastal regions. It is not necessary to conduct empirical studies in every coastal area of the world to develop global scenarios and models since large areas of the coastal zone have similar properties.

One of the most important initial tasks for LOICZ is to establish a global coastal zone typology based upon available scientific information, both descriptive and dynamic - the Typology Data Set. Such a system will allow grouping of the World's coastal zone into clusters of discrete, scientifically valid units based on both natural and socio-economic features and processes. Since not all areas can be sampled, a rational approach to LOICZ studies must involve identifying the major categories of coastal units and ensuring that each grouping is adequately represented in the data sets used for preparing global syntheses. In addition the typology will be used as the basis for encouraging new research projects in coastal types that are under-represented in current research activities and for analyzing and reporting results on a regional and global basis. The geographic focus is the world coastline between 50 meter elevation and 50 meter depth contours. This world coastal region is divided into 1-by-1 degree grid cells. In total there are 9362 cells.