Between November 20 and 23, 2000, the workshop "Baltic Coastal Ecosystems - Structure, Function and Coastal Zone Management" took place in Rostock, Ger­ many. The workshop was organised by the Institute of Aquatic Ecology of the University of Rostock and the Baltic Sea Research Institute Warnemiinde on be­ half of the Wissenschafts-Verbund Umwelt (WVU) at the University of Rostock. It was the third trans-disciplinary event that tried to link ecological and socio­ economical aspects with respect to the Baltic Sea. The first symposium was held in 1992, entitled "The Future of the Baltic Sea - Ecology, Economics, Administra­ tion and Teaching", and the second event took place in 1996, entitled "Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions - a Comparison Between North Atlantic Coast and Baltic Sea". The workshop "Baltic Coastal Ecosystems - Structure, Function and Coastal Zone Management" tried to provide an interdisciplinary forum for discussions, the exchange of ideas and the presentation of scientific results with respect to the Bal­ tic coast.

Status, Problems and Integrated Management of Baltic Coastal Ecosystems.- Southern Baltic Coastal Waters - Status and Problems: Recent Changes in Northern German Lagoons with Special Reference to Eutrophication; Macrophytes in Coastal Lagoons of the Southern Baltic; Microbial Metabolism in Sediments of Coastal Inlets of the Southern Baltic Sea - Response to Gradients of Eutrophication; The Ecological Importance of Mussels, Their Effect on Water Quality and Their Possible Use for Coastal Water Management; Conflict: Eutrophication and Fisheries in the North-Eastern German Lagoon and in the Szczecin Lagoon; Compilation of Nutrient Loads for the Szczecin Lagoon (Southern Baltic); Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters of the South-Eastern Baltic Sea.- Coastal Waters in Eastern Baltic Countries: Anthropogenic Pressure and Environmental Effects on the Gulf of Gdansk; Important Features of Coastline Dynamics in Poland - 'Nodal Points' and 'Gates'; Environmental Problems of the South-Eastern Baltic Coast and the Curonian Lagoon; Problems in Fisheries and Management of Fish Resources in the Gulf of Riga; Environmental Problems and Challenges for Coastal Zone Management in the Neva Estuary (Eastern Gulf of Finland).- Coastal Zone Management - Needs and Deficits: Scientific Research - The German Point of View; Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in the Context of Spatial Planning; Important User Needs in the Coastal Zone of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Legal Obligations in the German Baltic Territorial Sea; Tourism and Environmental Quality of the German Baltic Coast; The EC Water Framework Directive for Coastal Zones; Environmental Policy-Making in the Northwest of Russia - Ecological Problems and Management of the Eastern Gulf of Finland Coastal Zone; Harmful Non-Native Species in the Baltic Sea.- Coastal Zone Management: Tools and Strategies: Remote Sensing Applications in Coastal Zone Management; 3D Ecosystem Models as Decision Support Tools in the Gulf of Finland; The'Geo-Information System Coast Mecklenburg-Vorpommern'; Developing Efficient Information Provision Tools for ICM Practitioners in the Baltic; Indicators of the Development of Sustainable Tourism in the Baltic Sea Region; Conflict Management and Consensus-Building for Integrated Coastal Zone Management; Linking Partners in Joint Coastal Management Research.- Practical Experiences with Coastal Management: Integrated Coastal Zone Management: Case Study Rügen-Hiddensee; Integrated Management of Coastal Defence in Schleswig-Holstein: Experience and Challenges.- Subject Index.- Contributors.