The study should provide a state of knowledge on marine science issues that currently are in need of fundamental research. In order to produce a comprehensive synthesis, the planning meeting proposed to adopt the following guidelines:

1. The study synthesis should summarize existing knowledge and additionally define research directions in terms of generic multi-scale, multidisciplinary processes; as well as regional studies and synthesis incorporating natural regions. It should then describe interdisciplinary processes, i.e. physical, optical, biological, sedimentological, with a particular focus on the physical/biological process interface. The study synthesis will include the surf zone and the continental margin.
2. Scientific applications will be addressed in terms of methodology within an interdisciplinary context.

Following these guidelines, it is proposed that the goal of the Global Coastal Ocean Synthesis will be to produce two study volumes with the following titles:

1. THE GLOBAL COASTAL OCEAN: MULTI-SCALE INTERDISCIPLINARY PROCESSES
2. THE GLOBAL COASTAL OCEAN: INTERDISCIPLINARY REGIONAL STUDIES AND SYNTHESES

The volumes will have a general organization similar to that of Volumes 10 and 11 referred to above in order to facilitate physical/interdisciplinary intercomparison.

The overall objectives are defined as follows:

1. to encourage and facilitate coastal and shelf ocean sciences and technology on a global basis, in order to promote and improve capabilities to carry out such studies; to increase scientific understanding; and to provide scientific inputs to an effective coastal zone management
2. to achieve this, the programme aims to promote understanding of physical and dynamical processes as the basis of multi disciplinary processes and to enhance and interact with comprehensive studies

Long-term objectives are defined as:

1. to assess the major features of various physical mechanisms and their application to biological and chemical processes; and assess major interactive processes.
2. to provide, on the basis of knowledge, enhanced and synthesized by this programme, an improved and possibly adequate scientific foundation for the management of the coastal and shelf areas.

Guidance for the Study will be provided by the COASTS Steering Committee (see Appendix 2). A workshop for this Study will be held at IOC 8-11 August 2001. A Steering Committee meeting will be held 12 August 2001. Production of the Volumes is presently planned for the second half of 2003.

In terms of future activities envisaged for the COASTS programme, the Expert Consultation should specifically consider the following issues: