Application of Estuarine and Coastal Classifications in Marine Spatial Management

Coastal and marine classifications, both spatially explicit in the form of maps and non-spatial representations of the environment, are critical to the effective implementation of ecosystem-based management strategies such as marine spatial planning. This chapter provides an overview of a wide range of coastal classifications and classified maps developed to simplify and communicate biological, physical, social, and economic patterns in support of enhanced management decision making. Examples are provided from around the world and span a range of spatial scales from global coastal classifications to those for individual bays and estuaries. Technological advances in remote sensing, social-media analyses and artificial intelligence classifiers have diversified and improved the performance and application of biophysical coastal classifications and thematic maps. In the past decade, important progress has been made in the spatial representation of cultural values through participatory mapping and the integration of social-ecological patterns for coastal risk assessment. Mapping ecosystem services has become more widespread and the desire for environmental sustainability across sectors has seen a proliferation in predictive mapping applied to conservation prioritization and marine spatial planning. The chapter offers a showcase rather than a critique of applications and concludes with a section highlighting progress and future challenges in developing more culturally meaningful coastal classifications to inform coastal management.