The ‘coastal zone’ is an area with many definitions. At its simplest, it can be defined as:

‘the part of the land and the sea that are affected by each other’s proximity’

But if we think deeper on that definition, it is not difficult to see how the ‘coastal zone’ can extend quite a ways – physically or metaphorically – either landward or seaward.

Some examples: the winds of a storm blowing over an expanse of ocean thousands of kilometres from shore give rise to the waves that eventually impact the coastline, defining it’s shape, governing the character of its sands and determining the types of organisms that live there. Similarly, rains that fall thousands of kilometres inland run together, gathering bit by bit into rivers that eventually reach the sea, discharging the terrestrial material picked up along the way. 

For this reason, at ORCAS we take a broad, holistic view of the coastal zone. We appreciate the complexities of working in this environment – this includes the physical, biological and environmental complexities as well as the social and economic complexities.