title: Identification and prioritization of areas with high environmental risk in Mediterranean coastal areas: A flexible approach.
abstract: Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are the cornerstone for the future management of coastal ecosystems with many vulnerability and hazard indexes developed for this purpose, especially in the engineering literature, but with limited studies that considered ecological implications within a risk assessment. Similarly, the concept of prioritization of sites has been widely examined in biodiversity conservation studies, but only recently as an instrument for territory management. Considering coastal plant diversity at the species and community levels, and their vulnerability to three main potential hazards threatening coastal areas (oil spills, Hazardous and Noxious Substances pollution, fragmentation of natural habitats), the objective of this paper is to define an easy-to-use approach to locate and prioritize the areas more susceptible to those stressors, in order to have a practical instrument for risk management in the ordinary and extra-ordinary management of the coastline. The procedure has been applied at pilot areas in four Mediterranean countries (Italy, France, Lebanon and Tunisia). This approach can provide policy planners, decision makers and local communities an easy-to-use instrument able to facilitate the implementation of the ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) process in their territory.
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; University of Cagliari, DISVA, Viale S. Ignazio 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: marignani@unica.it.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marignani
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: daniele.bruschi@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruschi
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: davide.astiasogarcia@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Astiaso Garcia
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: raffaella.frondoni@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frondoni
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: emanuela.carli@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carli
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; University of Cagliari, DISVA, Viale S. Ignazio 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: m.silviapinna@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Silvia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: fabrizio.cumo@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cumo
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: franco.gugliermetti@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gugliermetti
authors.affiliation: Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Faculté de St-Jérôme, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20, France. Electronic address: arne.saatkamp@imbe.fr.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saatkamp
authors.affiliation: Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Faculté de St-Jérôme, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20, France. Electronic address: aggeliki.doxa@imbe.fr.
authors.forename: Aggeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Doxa
authors.affiliation: Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Faculté de St-Jérôme, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20, France. Electronic address: emilia.queller@imbe.fr.
authors.forename: Emi Martín
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Queller
authors.affiliation: University of Sfax, Research Unit in Plant Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics in Arid Environment (BIOECOS-MA), Route Soukra km 3.5 BP n° 1171, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaieb
authors.affiliation: Saint Joseph University, Laboratoire Caractérisation Génomique des Plantes, Rue de Damas BP 17-5208 Mar Mikhaël, 1104 2020 Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address: magda.boudagher@usj.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bou Dagher-Kharrat
authors.affiliation: Saint Joseph University, Laboratoire Caractérisation Génomique des Plantes, Rue de Damas BP 17-5208 Mar Mikhaël, 1104 2020 Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: El Zein
authors.affiliation: Saint Joseph University, Laboratoire Caractérisation Génomique des Plantes, Rue de Damas BP 17-5208 Mar Mikhaël, 1104 2020 Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address: sarah.jeitani@net.usj.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Jeitani
authors.affiliation: National Council for Scientific Research Lebanon, P.O. Box 11-8281, Ryad El Solh, 1107 2260 Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khater
authors.affiliation: National Council for Scientific Research Lebanon, P.O. Box 11-8281, Ryad El Solh, 1107 2260 Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: American University of Beirut, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, P.O Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, 1107 2020 Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address: age08@aub.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Anwar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Shami
authors.affiliation: American University of Beirut, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, P.O Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, 1107 2020 Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address: ghx00@aub.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Ghinwa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harik
authors.affiliation: American University of Beirut, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, P.O Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, 1107 2020 Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address: ibrahim.alameddine@aub.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alameddine
authors.affiliation: American University of Beirut, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, P.O Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, 1107 2020 Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address: mfadel@aub.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Mutasem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Fadel
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: carlo.blasi@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blasi
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D005602:France; D007558:Italy; D007861:Lebanon; D012308:Risk Management; D014416:Tunisia
keywords: GREAT Med project; Habitat fragmentation; Hazard analysis; Plant diversity; Risk assessment