This section is a classroom exercise that does not require any outside activities. It is combined with a group discussion and debate that bridges several disciplines and should appeal to teachers of geography in particular. Coastal zone management is a process that depends upon a creative and ordered dialogue between responsible citizens; simulation of the dialogue in the classroom helps young people to understand the challenges facing planners and environmentalists in their quest for sustainable development.

Group exercise 1: Coastal animals and plants

This exercise is designed to demonstrate dependence of many coastal species on adjacent land and sea habitats. The table is best written on the blackboard on the basis of contributions for the students. The left hand column is marked ‘ I live on land or in rivers and depend on the sea'. Here are some ideas in case the students need prompting:

•  Shore crabs

•  Sea birds without webbed feet (e.g. wading birds)

•  Salt-loving plants (halophytes) found in wetlands

•  Eels (spend most of their time in rivers but spawn at sea)

Perhaps humans could also be added to the list! Some ideas for the right hand column - marked ‘ I live in the sea and depend on the land' – are:

•  Sea birds with webbed feet (e.g. seagulls). Note that not all birds with webbed feet can stay in the water. Cormorants, for example, become waterlogged as their feathers are not waterproof and they need to perch on land to dry them occasionally.

•  Sturgeons and salmon-trout (spend most of their time in the sea but spawn in rivers).

•  Monk seals (maybe there are already none remaining in the Black Sea )

•  Near-shore underwater seagrasses and algae (they require stable shores)

Since most of the nutrients, essential to near-shore marine plant growth, come from the land, it could be argued that most of marine life near the coastal zone depends upon the land. In the Eutrophication study sheet, you will see what happens when the supply is excessive however. During the discussion, it will be possible to identify a number of human activities that would make life impossible for these animals and plants. The removal of wetlands, for example, denies sea birds breeding sites or resting areas. Damming or pollution of rivers blocks migratory fish from reaching their spawning grounds in the sea or rivers. Construction of beach resorts left monk seals without breeding sites.

Group exercise 2: Pressures in the coastal zone

This is a relatively simple exercise. The inner circle shows the activity and the outer circle shows the kinds of observable pressure on the coastal zone. Many activities and pressures have been intentionally omitted. Typical examples are:

The students should discuss the activities in their own region, removing those that do not apply and adding new ones. Try to decide which are the most important and how they might affect the coastal zone on land and sea.

And now to the Black Sea …

The examples given here are from corroborated reports by teachers or from the Black Sea Environmental Programme. They demonstrate that successes and difficulties are common to all Black Sea countries. You may wish to add your own local examples and discuss how they could be solved with the students.

The moral maze – protected areas

The purpose of the ‘moral maze' sections is to trigger some deeper questioning by the students. This example serves to examine our relationship with nature. Should we restrict our care of nature to small reserves? How can we act as ‘stewards' of nature when there a so many competing pressures? Who will act in defence of the habitats and plants that form the Black Sea ecosystem?

Your chance to negotiate a coastal zone management plan!

This is a group debate exercise giving an opportunity for students to role play and to try to solve a typical situation that is faced by coastal zone managers. Try to memorise the hypothetical case study described in the study sheet (or at least keep it at hand for reference). On the next page, you will find a sheet containing a number of cards with stakeholder roles. We suggest you make a photocopy of the sheet and cut out the cards. Divide the class into X groups. You know the dynamics of your own class, so the distribution of roles should be according to your own judgement. Each group has to appoint a spokesperson who should explain this group's perspective and then a general discussion can take place. We suggest that the debate is time-limited. A spokesperson is allowed to speak for no more than one minute, and there should be no interruptions during this period. The items for debate should be marked on the blackboard for everyone to see. You may wish to bring a stakeholder from your own local community to give his/her own opinions. It is not essential, but it gives a touch of authenticity to the debate, which make it more fun and realistic for students.

Further reading: The European Union for Coastal Conservation (EUCC) is an excellent source of material. Check their website: http://www.eucc.nl/en/home/index.htm