Caddy , J . F . , and F . Carocci . 1999 . The Spatial Allocation of Fishing Intensity

The concept of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) as a widely accepted model for addressing the multitude of anthropogenic and natural factors affecting the world's coasts has emerged in the last 10 years (Cicin-Sain and Knecht, 1998). Specifically, "integrated management of coastal and marine areas" was called for by Agenda 21, the global template for sustainable development that resulted from the Earth Summit meeting in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Congruent with ICZM has been the emergence GIS, which quickly became recognized as a technology that facilitates the ICZM process. "Integration" in ICZM is a multi-faceted concept in that it relates to a number of different factors affecting the coastal management process that must be coordinated in order to result in holistic decision-making. Typically, when applying the ICZM approach, coastal managers attempt to achieve integration at the following five levels: Intersectoral, intergovernmental, spatial, international, and science-management (Cicin-Sain and Knecht, 1998). GIS is an applicable tool for facilitating the latter form of integration. Information from both the natural and social sciences is imperative to informed decision-making. However, given the inherent differences in the research methods, interpretative tools, and format of data from the social and the natural sciences, lack of understanding and coordination between the two disciplines can complicate coastal management. These sciences do not always correspond. Integrating information from them requires large sets of diverse data. Many of these data can be depicted spatially (i.e. habitat type, population distribution, development etc.). GIS, therefore, allows for a geographically unified database that depicts this information in formats that make them compatible for analysis and comparative assessment. The discussion below provides an overview of a selection of papers that lend support to the use of Geographic Information Systems as important tools for integrating these different types of information in order to facilitate comprehensive and informed ICZM. Applications of GIS for coastal management are numerous including fisheries management (Caddy and Carocci, 1999, Morales and Freire, 2003), decision making related to marine protected areas (Cowie-Haskell and Delaney, 2003, Stanbury and Starr, 1999, Villa at al., 2002), vulnerability and risk assessment (El-Raey, 1997, Price et al., 2000, Zeger et al., 2002, Zeidler, 1997), coastal development (Frihy, 1996), training in environmental management (Gumbricht, 1996), user conflicts in coastal areas (Jelsinki et al., 2002), measuring anthropogenic impacts (Porter et al. 1997, White et al., 2003), and integrating local knowledge and human perceptions (Scholz et al., 2003, Shafer and Benzaken, 1998, Stanbury and Starr, 1999). It is not uncommon for a variety of these factors to be included in ICZM activities and many authors stress the validity of GIS for integrating them in a geo-spatial data format (Caddy and Carocci, 1999 Cowie-Haskell and Delaney, 2003, Douven et al., 2003, Frihy, 1996, Jelsinki et al., 2002, Scholz et al., 2003, Stanbury and Starr, 1999). The