After 25 years this volume is the second ZFG Supplement Volume focusing on "Coasts under Stress". It contains 15 papers presented at a conference of the AAG (Association of American Geographers) and the IGU (International Geographical Union) Coastal Commission in New Orleans in 2003. In this volume the editors want to show the progress and developments in techniques of data gathering and in understanding natural and cultural processes of coastal changes. The Supplement Volume is dedicated to the memory of James R. Allen, a member of the Biological Division of the U. S. Geological Survey, and a special paper by H. J.Walker is a tribute to the memory of Evelyn L. Pruitt, the late Director of the Geography Branch of the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

The study of coastal changes has become important as population density in coastal zones has increased and human activities were, are and will be affected by changing coastal conditions. In this context the volume presents some important local results to a wide range of topics, from sediment re-suspension in the Lagoon of Venice, to the potential of using archival colour vertical photography and GIS for the derivation of macro-algal weedmat maps in the Ythan estuary at the North East coast of Scotland. The volume is divided into three parts. Most papers (8) deal with the subject "Disturbance and Displacement in the Coastal zone", whereas the subjects "Coastal Dunes: Issues in Processes and Morphologies" and "Issues in Hydrography and Wetlands" are in the focus of three papers each.

In the first paper P. Ciavola presents the results of short-term observations of natural (waves, wind driven currents, tides) and anthropogenic (ships) processes, which have generated sediment re-suspension in the Lagoon of Venice. D.P. Horn summarizes recent conditions in England relating to the integration of insurance and development controls to reduce coastal flood hazards. He states that a new approach to flood defence, combining both national and local government planning systems with a flood insurance program, should be considered in England. Sediment grain size characteristics on nourished and un-nourished estuarine beaches and their impacts on the habitats of horseshoe crab at Delaware Bay, New Jersey, are investigated by N. L. Jackson, D. R. Smith and K.F. Nordstrom. The authors show that sediment texture influences the viability and development of horseshoe crab eggs. A. H. F. Klein, O. Mocellim, J.T. de Menezes, M. Beribili, G.Vintém, G.Dafferner, F. L.Diehl, R. M. Sperb and G. G. Santana discuss main factors, which may be the cause of beach bathing accidents and they present an assessment of beach safety management on the coast of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil.N.Meçaj gives a detailed description of the geomorphology and the evolution of river deltas at the Adriatic and Ionian coasts of Albania in historical times. The author states that modifications of the quantity and quality of the natural sedimentation balance result from anthropogenic impacts on the hydrographical network. Using historic aerial photographs and annual survey data during a period of 8 years J. Ollerhead presents a monitoring of impacts of the Confederation Bridge on shoreline evolution at Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, Canada. The author points out that there is no evidence of shoreline changes resulting from the presence of the Confederation Bridge at Cape Jourimain. Based on morphological and hydrodynamic data over the 1997-98 water year, K. M.Schwarz and A. R.Orme give a detailed description of the changing morphology and hydrodynamics at the seasonal Malibu river mouth in Southern California. Due to seasonal changes of the hydrodynamic variables such as stream discharge, tidal flux, dominance of waves and waverelated currents, the Malibu river mouth opens (open estuary) and closes (closed barrier lagoon system). The public perception of coastal structure at four groyned beaches (metal, wood, rock and concrete groynes), located on the coastline of Wales, UK was investigated by A.T.Williams, A. Ergin, A.Micallef and M. R. Phillips. Based on interviews of beach users, the authors state that, apart from Amroth, groyned beaches with a preference to rock groynes are more attractive than beaches without groynes.

In the second part of the volume three papers focus on processes and morphology of coastal dunes. P. A. Hesp deals with flow reversal and dynamics of foredunes and climbing dunes on the leeward east coast, New Zealand. Prevailing wind directions, regional and local wind flow structures, relief and sediment supply are considered to be main factors in the occurrence of different types of coastal dunes along this coast.J. D. Orford discusses in detail the role of sea-level control on mid-late-Holocene coastal dune initiation at three lee coast sites on the British Isles. The investigations are based on historical wind measurement records, published regional relative sea-level change accounts and active-dune chronologies, which are based on infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and radiocarbon (14C) data. The author mentions that most dune development on leeside coasts of the British Isles needs sea-level regression with onshore winds. Modern coastal foredune mobility at Fire Island National Seashore (New York) has been reconstructed by N.P. Psuty, J.P. Pace, S.Hook and J. R. Allen. The data were collected by systematic field topographic surveys between 1994 and 2003 and by analysis of aerial photography.

The last three papers deal with issues in hydrography and wetlands. D.W.Davis describes the impact of hurricanes on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast and on hydrocarbon industry. To mitigate economic risks the author demands a better protection of Louisiana’s wetlands to reduce the current high rates of shoreline retreat and land loss. J.T. Ellis and D. J. Sherman investigate the effects of sampling frequency on the estimation of wave characterization using data from three wave environments. The potential in using archival colour vertical aerial photography to weedmat monitoring and mapping for the Ythan estuary, North East Scotland, is presented by D. R. Green.

All in all, the volume documents the wide thematic and regional fields of activities of coastal scientists who met in New Orleans in 2003 to celebrate the 25th anniversary meeting of the AAG and the Coastal Commission of the IGU. The papers document well their activities in coastal research and can give inspiration to all scientists who are interested in coastal environments.

Gerhard Schellmann, Bamberg

Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie 51/3, p. 402-403