This course, Managing coastal environments, looks at the example of the Blackwater Estuary in Essex, England, describing how the current state of the estuary came to be. It examines the contests and conflicts that centre on the estuary in terms of managing the environment for human needs and the needs of the other species who make their habitat there.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• Recognise the interaction of human and physical processes in the making of environments and the understanding of environmental issues
• Understand coastal regions as dynamic and contested environments
• Consider the contested nature of coastal management policies using the case study of managed retreat.