Each Theme Network has a Thematic Network Office. The role of the TCO is complementary to the NCO; the NCO’s primarily focus on the process of networking, while the TCO focus primarily on the content of networking. They coordinate the Theme Programmes, consisting of European survey studies and dissemination of knowledge, tools and practices and the elaboration of European Action Plans. Coastal research cooperation will be structured not only according to National Networks, but also according to European Thematic Networks.
The theme networks address issues of concern related to ICZM and shared by many member states. The Theme Networks carry out a survey of existing knowledge and experience in the member states on coastal processes, policies and practices, analyse strengths and weaknesses and propose a European Action Plan to address major deficiencies in science, policies and practices.
The State-of-the-Art Survey aims at providing a Directory of European expertise in coastal science and practice. This directory contains a survey of:

• Present major issues in coastal management and policy (what, where),
• Present expertise, policies and practices to respond to these issues,
• Related research efforts and anticipated results,
• Institutions involved, contact information.

The thematic areas covered by theme networks are:

• Theme 1: Multifunctionality and Valuation
• Theme 2: ICZM Participation and Implementation
• Theme 3: Marine and Coastal Spatial Planning
• Theme 4: Pollution, Prevention, Detection and Mitigation
• Theme 5: Long Term Coastal Geo-Morphological Change
• Theme 6: Effect of Development and Use on Eco-morphology and Coastal Habitats
• Theme 7: Restoration and Preservation of Coastal Biodiversity
• Theme 8: Sustainable Coastal Engineering Techniques
• Theme 9: Assessment of Field Observation Techniques
• Theme 10: Capacity Building, Training and Education in ICZM

Theme 1: Multifunctionality and Valuation
In the densely populated coastal areas intense relations among environmental and anthropogenic processes take place that have important effects on coastal resources and their future availability. Population density and the concentration of many uses exacerbate pressure on natural resources as well as on the social and economic structures of coastal communities. Managing coastal zones implies continuous confrontation with conflicts over the allocation and use of coastal al marine resources.
Conflicts link variables and processes that are not naturally commensurable and require some common valuation method. The management of such a complex system requires an integrated and holistic approach in order to bring together the interests of the coastal area in a co-ordinated and rational manner, managing coastal resources for optimum social and economic benefit for present and future generations without prejudicing the state of ecosystems and resources.
Hence, there is a need to develop common strategies focusing on practical aspects and implementing knowledge related to ICZM practices. The theme will focus on methods, approaches and tools regarding the integration of socioeconomic impacts on coastal areas as a part of an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to ICZM.

Theme Lead:  CORILA and FEEM  - Prof. Carlo Carraro,

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Theme 2: ICZM Participation and Implementation
Participation of political/policy, economic and environmental stakeholders and of different levels of public administration is particularly important for ICZM strategies
As a consequence of poor participatory methods, the design of most investment projects hardly captures the expectations of the public at large or does not benefit from opportunities brought by local knowledge. In other cases, poor support from the public has forced local and national authorities to withdraw projects including those that would have contributed to restore the long-term resilience of coastal areas

In order to be able to determine how well, or efficiently, ICZM is being implemented – especially in relation to the integration of stakeholder participation – the recently approved EU Progress Indicator set for ICZM needs to be used systematically. Employing a harmonised methodology with the capacity to share in the collection, interpretation, transformation and dissemination of information will add value immeasurably to the efforts of individual localities, regions and countries and help promote a collective and mutually supportive approach to tackling the challenges posed by coastal and marine issues.

The theme network 2  will focus on the following issues:
Determining the level of implementation of stakeholder participation;

• Determining what are the bottle-necks towards progress in stakeholder participation;
• Developing examples of best European practice to improve stakeholder participation;
• Encouraging national, regional and local authorities to introduce new methods for stakeholder participation

Theme Lead: EUCC - The Coastal Union - Dr. Alan Pickaver
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Theme 3: Marine and Coastal Spatial Planning
Marine and Coastal Spatial Planning is important as a comprehensive framework for policy integration and a process to implement Strategies concerning Coastal Zone Management. At a global, regional (i.e. Mediterranean, Baltic, etc.) and EU level there are various enabling frameworks (e.g. European Parliament and Council Recommendation concerning the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Europe, Barcelona Convention,) which support such activities. In some cases such frameworks also exist at a national level (recently a Special Framework for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development for coastal areas has been adopted in Greece to guide public policy providing a policy platform towards ICZM). There is also a wide range of possible ICZM planning research agenda across Europe, but a few highlights could assist in bringing forward some of the opportunities which exist.
The theme programme will be directed to the following issues:

• benchmarks for assessing progress towards ICZM;
• structuring coastal spatial planning at multiple scales, from local to European;
• incorporation of coastal and marine planning in a Sustainable Development framework;
• dissemination of knowledge;
• exchange of experience worldwide.

Theme Lead: Univ. of Thessaly - Prof. H Coccossis
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Theme 4: Pollution, Prevention, Detection and Mitigation
Seas and coastal zones are fragile areas. A bad water quality damages their natural resources, their environment and their attractiveness. A bad water quality endangers human activities like fishery or tourism. Integrated Coastal Zone Management through new regulations, organizations and techniques can improve prevention, detection and mitigation of pollution.
Diverse sources of pollution threaten the water quality in the coastal zone
- oils and paintings from the ships;
- harbour runoff containing a mixture of contaminants including oils, oil emulsifiers, paints, solvents, detergents, bleach, antifouling paint scrapings;
- ships’ passages and dredging operations that increase the suspended solids contents in the water. These sediments are likely to be polluted by heavy metals and organic micropollutants;

• diffuse and point source land-based pollution resulting from agriculture, industry, and urban settlement;
• ship accidents or industrial accidents with their environmental impact due to oil spill or chemical pollution;
• storage of wastes including polluted dredged materials
• regular discharge of wastewaters from coastal outfalls;
• resulting problems with eutrophication, nutrients, sewage and storm water treatment.

Theme lead: CETMEF - Dr. Phillippe Sergent
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Theme 5: Long Term Coastal Geo-Morphological Change
Effective management of coastal systems is crucial to the protection and preservation of all coastal communities. All coastal authorities are faced with the need to make predictions concerning the behaviour of the coastline over a timescale of order 50 years in order to fulfil integrated coastal zone management planning requirements. The main challenge addressed by this theme, therefore, is to promote the development and demonstration of emerging and new methodologies for the prediction of long-term geo-morphological changes to coastal and estuarial behaviour systems including the effects of climate change and to disseminate this new knowledge across Europe.

Theme lead: University of Plymouth -   Prof. Andrew J. Chadwick
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Theme 6: Effect of Development and Use on Eco-morphology and Coastal Habitats
Increased human exploitation and infrastructure developments in the coastal and estuarine zones influence the geo-and eco-morphology resulting in enlarged stress on coastal habitats. Examples of negative impacts are:
- Changes in flow and sediment transport regimes
- Water quality changes
- Coastal erosion
- Dune erosion
- Erosion of mud flats
- Habitat destruction
The theme integrates research on the effects of development and use on ecomorphology and coastal habitats in the different European countries.
Furthermore, a catalogue of well-proven and documented measures to counteract negative impacts of development and use will be prepared as a way of sharing the experience gained by researchers and practitioners from the application of tools and methods to real-life cases.
The outcome of this topic will be a practitioners manual addressing all aspects of the effect of development and use on eco-morphology and coastal habitats.

Theme lead: DHI Water & Environment - Dr. Karen Edelvang
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Theme 7: Restoration and Preservation of Coastal Biodiversity
The continuously increasing socio-economic pressure on the coastal system in coastal zones (e.g. tourism, coastal shipping routes, port and harbour-related activities, coastal defence, fisheries, aggregate extraction and windfarms), as well as upstream and land-based activities, supports the need for a decision making framework to objectively allocate the different user functions in the coastal zone and minimize environmental degradation. This calls for a spatial structure plan, preferentially firmly based on the concept of ICZM, which incorporates protective designations to restore and preserve coastal biodiversity.
In this, the importance of coastal biodiversity and ecosystem functioning cannot be neglected: coastal ecosystems are among the most productive ecosystems worldwide and a major part of the current and future socio-economic activities in the coastal zones are depending on these living resources (e.g. tourism and fisheries). At present, the coastal biodiversity already suffered badly from the anthropogenic stress hampering the urgent need for a thorough preservation and restoration of coastal biodiversity and maintenance of ecological integrity (e.g. integral water management). Since obviously the precautionary principle cannot always be enforced, the conservation and restoration of coastal biodiversity should primarily focus on the most ecologically valuable and vulnerable biotopes. Hence, it is of utmost importance to be able scientifically to underpin the valuation of coastal biotopes (i.e. ecological valuation).
Several biological valuation strategies for the terrestrial as well as the marine part of the coastal zone have already been proposed (at national, European and worldwide level), but their applicability at a wider scale and the relationship and interconnection between the terrestrial and marine system are largely lacking.
Furthermore, most of these strategies were designed specifically to comply with primarily national demands. This is particularly problematic for shared coastlines and watersheds.

Theme Lead: Ghent University - Dr. Magda Vincx, Dr. Steven Degraer,
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Theme 8: Sustainable Coastal Engineering Techniques
The phenomenon of 'Coastal erosion' can be split in two quite different topics, which each call for quite different coastal engineering counter measures. Erosion of the mainland because of a severe storm (surge), a so-called episodic event, must be clearly discerned from erosion because of long-term, gradual, year after year processes. The latter type of erosion is often called background or structural erosion. This type of erosion might be due to (still) merely natural processes, or might in fact be considered as the response of the coastal system to human interferences in that system in the (far) past.
It is expected that structural erosion will be enhanced by global sea level rise. The need for more and better protection schemes will consequently increase in future.
Existing types of ‘hard’ structures (seawalls, revetments, groynes, shore parallel detached offshore breakwaters) have been proven to 'work' well in many cases. However, also in many cases it turned out in practice that the application of ‘hard’ structures did not meet the expectations. Then in fact applying a solution with the help of ‘hard’ structures made an unfortunate choice.
The sometimes poor performance of the application of traditional structures to resolve a coastal erosion problem, has contributed to the continuous development of other and often innovative coastal protection techniques (‘hard’ and ‘soft’ techniques; e.g. artificial beach nourishments in the latter case).
A main issue of Theme 8 is to develop in cooperation with the partners some kind of a guideline (best practices) how to use coastal engineering techniques in the solution of real life coastal protection issues. Sustainable solutions, which fulfil the (clearly to be defined) requirements, now and in future, are to be raised. Innovative techniques are fully taken into account.

Theme lead: Delft University of Technology - Dr. Jan van de Graaff, l
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Theme 9: Assessment of Field Observation Techniques
Collecting data representative for the state of the coastal environment is one prerequisite for successful management of the coastal zone but a costly and demanding task.
Recording hydrodynamic parameters in coastal areas is in most cases no longer a challenge; but recording parameters describing the chemical and ecological state is not yet solved in a manner that allows a routine reliable and affordable monitoring practice. The challenge is multiple – it is related to the selection of parameters to be measured; the analytical procedures to do the measurement; the technology of recording and transmitting; the conceptual approach of contextualizing the data.
The primary objective of this theme is to spread tools and practices, useful in resolving observational problems in the coastal area, among the public and private sectors.

Theme lead: GKSS - Dr. Franciscus Colijn,
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Theme 10: Capacity Building, Training and Education in ICZM
ICZM is a new concept of management for managers and decision-makers and represents a new way of thinking and educating for scientists and faculty members where several levels of integration need to be achieved and where the different disciplines concerned with the study of oceans and coasts cannot operate independently any longer.
Therefore, capacity building in ICZM needs a twofold perspective,

• the training and education of a new generation of coastal professionals based on ICZM principles
• to reorient existing coastal managers; and decision makers, by training them in a more multidisciplinary and integrated manner.

Furthermore, ICZM capacity building, training and education, presents some additional challenges:

• Even if during the last decade there have been several efforts to develop and implement ICZM training and education programs, there is still an open discussion on what are the necessary professional skills to meet the demands for undertaking ICZM programmes effectively;
• even if some universal core concepts and frameworks can be proposed, ICZM nature needs to tailor the contents of the courses and capacity building programs to make them suitable to take into account the different requirements (management, cultural, legal, political, etc.) at global, national and regional and local scales;
• how can we teach the need and implementation of the different integration levels and the multidisciplinary thinking required for ICZM to the new coastal professionals; how can we do the same with existing coastal managers or other target groups?
• What is the best strategy to convince governments to work to fulfil our needs in capacity building of existing and future coastal managers?
• What is the role to be played by ICZM education programs in EU universities considering the existing curricula?, etc.

Theme lead: Univ. Cantabria - Prof. Inigo Losada,
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Thematic Network Conference
12th – 13th  March  2007. Venice, Italy

The Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) and the Consortium for Coordination of Research Activities Concerning the Venice Lagoon System (CORILA), are organizing a conference on socio economic impacts on coastal zones and their evaluation in a context of integrated coastal zone management.
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