Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami

Federation Seeks Ways to Help Rebuild Coastal Science Capacity

Often when coasts are in the headlines we are glad. Not this time. The tsunami that resulted from a sea floor earthquake on 26 December 2004 devastated a vast coastal area in the northern Indian Ocean.

Accounts of the tsunami and the aftermath conditions have flooded news channels since the event. We know that Federation members share our sorrow and dismay at the profound loss of life and infrastructure the region sustained. Our friends and colleagues in the coastal sciences have been particularly hard hit. We have reports of important marine laboratories and universities that have been damaged or destroyed in Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Tragically, some of these facilities also suffered casualties among the faculty and staff. It is likely to be months before we know the full extent of the losses and damages.

A critical question is to determine what role better coastal planning can play during the rebuilding phase to prevent a disaster of such magnitude from occurring again.

What can we do to help? In the short term, humanitarian assistance for the entire region is of utmost urgency of course. Immediate humanitarian needs are being addressed through the excellent agencies for whom this is the central mission. We hope you will help them in their efforts by being as generous as you can.

A second urgent need is to assess the ecological damages to the coastal ecosystems and to protect them from further harm. Our colleges in these regions are already beginning that difficult task. We echo the plea from Katherine Ewel, president of the Society of Wetland Scientists urging all of you with expertise in tropical coastal areas to be ready to work with our Asian and African colleagues in the areas affected by the tsunami. A critical question is to determine what role better coastal planning can play during the rebuilding phase to prevent a disaster of such magnitude from occurring again.

GIS expert volunteers needed

Those of you with GIS expertise can directly help if you are interested in volunteering your services. Two professional organizations have teamed up to coordinate short term, volunteer-based GIS services to the affected areas. If you are a GIS professional and would like to volunteer your time and services please visit http://www.esri.com/news/ pressroom/indian_ocean_disaster. html for more information.

Another urgent need is to improve and expand early detection and warning systems for coastal hazards. The International Union of Geological Sciences and the International Council for Science have both produced position statements on how to go forward. These statements are available on line (www.IUGS.org; www.ICSU.org).

In the longer term, it is critical for the coastal science and management capacity in the region to be fully restored too. It is daunting to try to think what a small organization like the Federation can do to help. Even so, we feel compelled to try to help and to play a role in reestablishing the scientific capacity of the region.

To help with the region’s coastal science infrastructure we first need information. It is slowly coming. We have sought information on the conditions of coastal and marine labs in the region and the scientists who work in them. We have also contacted leaders of other scientific societies and international coastal organizations. At this writing there was still not enough information to determine where the need was greatest or how we could be most effective.

At our web site and in future newsletters we hope to provide you with more information about the conditions in the region and access to web sites and organizations that are providing assistance to the region’s coastal science community. We will also work with other scientific societies and organizations to provide as unified a response as possible.

We welcome your input on how to help. Please email us.

Anne E. Giblin, ERF President 1999-2001
Marine Biological Laboratory
agiblin@mbl.edu

Joy Bartholomew, ERF Executive Director
jbarth@erf.org