CYBER-COAST (A CYBERnetic perspective on COASTal environments)
The FEC CYBER-COAST working group aims to address the intricate challenges of predicting and managing ecosystem responses to global changes by framing coastal environmental changes through a cybernetics and ecological energetics perspective, thereby serving as a platform for collaboration and funding proposals in ecosystem conservation and sustainable coastal development on a global scale.
Introduction
A key challenge in global change biology is to predict how ecosystems will respond to future environmental changes and to manage these responses. This is complicated by the fact that the biotic and physical components of the biosphere are interwoven by complex feedback relationships. In particular, ecosystem engineers are organisms that directly or indirectly modulate the suitability of the habitat and the availability of resources by causing changes in the physical state of the environment, including those environmental variables relevant for their own fitness. Variation in fitness affects the abundance and activity of engineers, thus their ability to modify the environment, thereby establishing amplifying or stabilizing biophysical feedback loops. This phenomenon is akin to a cybernetic system where adaptive management is employed to maintain desired outcomes. Human-induced feedback disruptions in such a cybernetic system can lead to instability or even collapse.
As a remarkable case of cybernetic loop, aquatic bioturbators, bioconstructors and bioirrigators are deemed ecosystem engineers because of the physical changes they cause to the benthic environment and to the water column. This has a strong impact on many important ecosystem features and processes which are all relevant for the fitness of engineers themselves on a larger scale, benthic ecosystems engineers are expected to influence and be influenced by the Earth system stoichiometry, seascape, landscape and climate. Global changes are currently having an impact on benthic ecosystem engineers and the biophysical feedback loops they are enmeshed in, which could trigger abrupt changes in aquatic and coastal ecosystems on a planetary scale.
Through the sharing of ideas and knowledge, FEC CYBER-COAST working group will develop a conceptual scheme to frame coastal environmental changes under the perspective of cybernetics and ecological energetics. The key partners include CNR-IRET Lecce, a research institute of the Italian National Research Council, specializing in the structure and functioning of ecosystems in the context of global changes and human impact. The University of Salento – DiSTeBA adds its extensive research facilities and expertise in biological and environmental sciences, while LifeWatch ERIC, a European Research Infrastructure Centre, provides a platform to enhance understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem functionality for environmental protection. The State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University (SKLEC), contributes its valuable research streams in estuarine and coastal dynamics. With additional participation from NIOZ – Yerseke, Sun Yat-Sen University and University of Caen, this partnership forms a robust and diverse consortium aimed at addressing crucial challenges in ecosystem conservation and sustainable coastal development on a global scale. This working group also intends to serve as a platform for preparing funding proposals.
Contact:
Francesco Cozzoli: [email protected]
Xiaoyu Fang: [email protected]
Notes on Cybernetics
- Why “Cybernetic”?
Cybernetic: (from the Greek kubernētikēs, steerman): science of control and communication
- Cybernetics and Feedback loops
Cybernetics is a multidisciplinary field that focuses on understanding the principles of control, communication, and regulation in complex systems. Feedback loops are the most distinctive trait of cybernetic systems. Feedback loops occur when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit. Negative feedbacks have a stabilizing effect on the involved components, positive feedback have an amplifying effect. - Cybernetics in Coastal environments
Coastal Cybernetics refer to the complex interactions and loops of cause and effect that occur among various biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components within these environments, including the human component. These feedback mechanisms underlying coastal cybernetics play a crucial role in shaping the structure, functioning, and resilience of coastal ecosystems. Feedbacks can amplify or dampen the effects of environmental changes, and they are essential to understanding how coastal ecosystems respond to disturbances and adapt to evolving conditions.
- Example of positive (amplifying) feedback loop in coastal environments
Sea Level Rise and Ice Melt: As global temperatures rise, polar ice caps and glaciers melt, contributing to sea level rise. Higher sea levels result in warmer ocean temperatures, which in turn accelerate ice melt. As more ice melts, it reduces the Earth’s albedo (reflectivity) as open water absorbs more sunlight, amplifying the warming effect and leading to further ice melt and sea level rise. Coastal Erosion Feedback: Coastal erosion can expose sediment that was previously covered by vegetation. This sediment can be transported away, affecting habitats and increasing the vulnerability of coastal structures. As more sediment is removed, vegetation loss can continue, leading to more erosion. - Examples of negative (stabilizing) feedback loop in coastal environments
Salt Marsh Elevation and Sediment Accumulation: Salt marshes are coastal wetlands with vegetation that can trap sediment. As plants grow and sediment accumulates, the marsh elevation increases. This elevated marsh surface helps protect the area from flooding and allows vegetation to thrive. The more sediment the marsh traps, the more its elevation rises, creating a stabilizing feedback that enhances its resilience against rising sea levels. Nutrient Regulation in Seagrass Beds: Seagrass beds can help regulate nutrient levels in coastal waters. They take up nutrients from the water, reducing their concentration. Lower nutrient levels discourage excessive algae growth, preventing the water from becoming nutrient-rich and potentially hypoxic. Seagrasses’ nutrient uptake and their shading effects create a stabilizing feedback that maintains water quality and supports a diverse ecosystem. Coastal cybernetics support the development of models and simulations that represent the relationships and interactions within coastal ecosystems. These models can help predict how changes in one aspect of the ecosystem might affect others. For instance, they could simulate the impact of sea level rise on salt marshes, taking into account feedback loops involving sediment deposition and vegetation growth. Coastal cybernetics is aimed at the development of approaches that consider the interconnectedness of various components of the coastal zone, including natural and human systems. This can involve balancing conflicting interests, such as conservation and development. A cybernetic approach might facilitate communication and collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and the public to promote understanding and awareness of coastal issues and their cybernetic solutions.
Strategic Goals
The strategic goal of the working group is to harness the concept of cybernetics to not only understand the fundamental workings of coastal ecosystems but also to establish an epistemological approach that fosters collaborative feedback loops among researchers. This approach aims to drive exponential scientific growth and knowledge sharing within the Cyber Coast initiative.
Partner Institutions
CYBER-COAST working group News
Members
(1) Alessandra Saponieri, Department of Engineering for Innovation, Università del Salento, Italy
(2) Anja Scheffers, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Australia
(3) Amélie Lehuen, Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA) Université de Caen Normandie UNICAEN, France
(4) Charles Lemckert, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Australia
(5) Christian Schwarz, Department of Civil Engineering, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven: Leuven, Flanders, BE
(6) Daniele Aarduini, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(7) David Armstrong McKay, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden
(8) Pradeep Nair, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, India
(9) Emanuele Mancini, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(10) Fabio Bozzeda, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(11) Francesca Strano, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(12) Francesco Cozzoli, Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET) – National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Italy
(13) Francis Orvain, Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA) Université de Caen Normandie UNICAEN, France
(14) Gemma Smith, International Estuarine and Coastal Specialists Ltd. UK
(15) Gerardo Perillo, Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía and Departamento de Geología Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina
(16) Giorgio Mancinelli, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(17) Giovanni Avila-Flores, Autonomous University of Baja California Sur, México
(18) Jim van Belzen, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Netherlands
(19) Joachim Langeneck, National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Italy
(20) Lucia Fanini, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(21) Lucy Gwen Gillis, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Netherlands
(22) Matteo Convertino, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen International Graduate School, China
(23) Maxime Laukens, KU Leuven, Belgium
(24) Bruckner, Muriel, Department of Civil Engineering, Louisiana State University, USA
(25) Mike Elliott, University of Hull, UK
(26) Natalia Preciado, Centro Tecnológico Naval y del Mar CTN- Marine Technology Centre
(27) Peter.Arlinghaus, Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz Centre for Materials and Coastal Research (HZG) Geesthacht, Germany
(28) Rita Carrasco, Centre for Marine and Environmental Research CIMA, University of Algarve, Portugal
(29) Roberta D’Agostino, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Italian National Research Council, Italy
(30) Shu Gao, Nanjing University, China
(31) Silvia Fraissinet, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(32) Tjeerd Bouma, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Netherlands
(33) Valerio Micaroni, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(34) Vanessa Marrocco, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy
(35) Xiaoyu Fang, State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, China
(36) Xiuzhen Li, State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, China
(37) Yaping Wang, State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, China
(38) Zhan Hu, Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Marine Science, Sun Yat-sen University, China
(39) Zhengquan Zhou, The University of Hong Kong, China