RT journal article
T1 Coastal Health of the Moroccan Mediterranean Coast: An Ecosystem Perspective for Coastal Management
A1 Er-Ramy, N.
A1 Azaaouaj, S.
A1 Nachite, D.
A1 Anfuso Melfi, Giorgio
A2 Ciencias de la Tierra
K1 ecosystem health
K1 coastal systems
K1 anthropogenic activities
K1 governance
K1 management strategies
AB Coastal health assessment and diagnosis are important tools for decision-makingand coastal management. In this paper, the concept of ecosystem health, which usesmedical terminology to define the state of coastal health, was applied to examine anddiagnose the state of the physical coastal systems of 120 coastal sites along the MoroccanMediterranean coastline. Based on this assessment approach, five categories are defined:(1) “Good Health”, with two subdivisions: (1a) “Health Warning” and (1b) “SurfaceWounds”; (2) “Minor Injury”; (3) “Major Injury”; (4) “On Life Support” and (5) “Deceased”.According to the results obtained, 38 sites (32%) were classified in the “Good Health”category, with 35 sites (29%) in the “Health Warning” and 11 (9%) in the “Surface Wounds”subdivisions; 14 sites (12%) in each of the “Minor Injury” and “Major Injury” categories; nosites (0%) in the “On Life Support” category; and 8 sites (7%) in the “Deceased” category.The considerable percentage of sites in the alert and lower categories highlights the level ofdegradation and ongoing loss of coastal ecosystems along the Moroccan Mediterraneancoast due to the significant impact of anthropogenic processes and inadequate coastalmanagement practices, highlighting the current degradation of its physical state and itscapacity to function naturally, i.e., its ability to respond to various present and futureenvironmental changes. The results and proposals presented in this paper offer importantperspectives for the governance, preservation, and management of coastal systems andare very useful in limiting and preventing the degradation of coastal systems linked tonatural processes and the development of future anthropogenic activities. In addition,they stress the importance of protecting sites classified as “healthy” and restoring thoseclassified as “alert” or “unhealthy”, using sound management strategies based on reliablescientific data.
PB MDPI
SN 2073-445X
YR 2025
FD 2025-06-15
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38659
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38659
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-may-2026