General Guidelines for Exams
Students are expected to be familiar with terminology and concepts, and to demonstrate a basic mastery and understanding of all assigned materials.

Examination will include short answer questions where students will construct written responses

Some questions will address problem-solving situations where students will need to understand the issure or problem,

and to identify solutions and/or propose intervention strategies.

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 Specific Review Topics for Exam I

Exam Topics/Outline for Overview of Coastal Geology/Ecology

Review of Coastal Ecology Issues
Coastal Use Patterns
Factors affecting population density along coasts
Connections between human activity and damage to coastal regions
Regional trends in coastal populations
Complexities of mixed uses for coastal lands
Ecological values of coastal resources
Stakeholders in Policy Matters
Examples of legislation protecting U.S. coasts
(e.g., Coastal Zone Management Act, Coastal Barrier Protection Act)
Coastal Problems & Challenges
(Examples: Storms, Erosion, Flooding)
(How do physical features and human activities converge to enhance these effects?)
(How can we design better approaches that match human alterations to natural processes?)
Coastal Planning Issues
Loss of Wildlife Habitat (causes, avoidance strategies, increased respect)
Glacial Activity & Coastlines (links between past geological activity and present-day impacts)
-see handout posted on Blackboard-
(be able to discuss examples of linkages)
Importance of nutrient additions to shallow water coastal ecosystems (nitrates, phosphates)
Sources of the nutrient enrichment (sewage, agriculture, golf courses, sewage treatment systems, etc.)

Overview of Coastal Ecology
Coastal Ecosystems (examples, links between biotic and abiotic factors)
Variations in biotic communities on different coasts
Importance of coastal plains
Zones of the ocean (pelagic/benthic/planktonic)
Factors affecting life in the oceans
Types of coastal ecosystems- recognize illustrations of different habitats
(estuaries, salt marshes, rocky shores, sandy beaches, mangrove swamps, coral reefs)
Differences between planktonic and benthic communities in coastal ecosystems

Take-Home Question (10 points)
You have been hired as a consultant for a Cape Cod, MA community to assist them in marketing their new coastal management plan.

What skill sets would you bring to this effort?

How would you convince local citizens and coastal business owners that the plan would be in their best interest?

What issues would you emphasize regarding coastal storm planning? What stakeholder groups would you target?

LIMIT YOUR ANSWER TO TWO PAGES

Please prepare a individualized response to the question and post the document on Blackboard by 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 12, 2011.

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abiotic factors
barrier beaches and barrier islands
benthic communities
biotic community
Coastal Barriers Protection Act
coastal lagoons (also called salt ponds)
coastal zone (definition)
Coastal Zone Management Act
collision zone
convergent plate margin
CZM planning
divergent plate margin
ecological productivity
estuaries 
global warming and coastal changes
intertidal zone
leading edge
lithosphere
mangrove swamps
marginal edge
nitrates
NOAA
 planktonic community
plate tectonics

rock pools
salinity
salt marshes

stakeholders
subduction zone
trailing edge
  tsunami damage (examples)
upwelling and downwelling currents