Indicators of the state of the coastal environment and management practices

Abstract

The coastal environment, as defined in the draft New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 1992, is continually changing due to natural processes and, human activities. The direction and 'extent' of the change can be determined through the monitoring process. Monitoring the coastal environment needs to be a long term process or it may become impossible, In the short term to separate true environmental change from the background : 'noise" or natural oscillations in the environment.