This week marks the beginning of the autumn semester of the Coastal and Marine Management masters program. The first course taught is entitled Integrated Coastal and Marine Management and is the first of six course courses in the program. The course will introduce the concepts, principles, approaches, processes and issues of integrated coastal management (ICM) through a review of ICM history and development within a global context, illustrating the complexity of economic, social and natural system interactions in coastal and marine environments.

The course instructor is Rodrigo Menafra who is now returning for the third time to teach this course. He has been involved in Integrated Coastal Management for ten years, having participated in various interdisciplinary research projects, with an emphasis on coastal policy, protected areas and artisanal fisheries. His academic interests derives from his experience as Assistant Coordinator and faculty member in the master's program on Integrated Coastal Management at the University of the Republic of Uruguay, having contributed to the development of the program through technical and administrative roles as well as teaching responsibilities. He currently lives in Halifax, Canada, and works as the Marine Conservation Coordinator for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, a non-governmental environmental organization.