As TCS president, Orbach left an 

 important mark — how to train professional 

 coastal environment managers to take science 

 and put it into the public policy arena. 



Orbach also left a mark on state policy with 

 a major Sea Grant study in 1996, "Effort 

 Management in North Carolina Fisheries: A 

 Total Systems Approach." It was an important 

 piece of the report of the Fisheries Moratorium 

 Steering Committee to the North Carolina 

 General Assembly later that year. 



He predicts an integrated coastal manage- 

 ment model will be key to implementing coastal 

 and ocean policies for the next century. 



An Evolving Story 



Clark says that the TCS future rests on a 

 strong foundation laid down in an era of social 

 change and environmental awareness. The 

 1960s launched the Stratton Commission to look 

 at the nation's use of oceans. The Coastal Zone 

 Management Act, the National Marine Fisheries 

 Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the 

 Clean Water Act, NOAA and the National Sea 

 Grant network emerged from the commission's 

 100 recommendations. 



TCS was forged by a handful of people 

 from across the country who were working in 

 newly established federal and state programs, 

 recalls Marc Hershman, director of the School of 

 Marine Affairs at the University of Washington. 

 Hershman served as TCS president 1980-1981 

 and is a member of the U.S. Commission on 

 Ocean Policy. 



"There also were recent grads from the 

 emerging marine affairs programs, faculty and 

 members of public interests and environmental 

 organizations," Hershman says. 



"Early on, we had to decide if we were 

 oriented to research and information generation, 

 activism, public education — or some other 

 approach. Typical of young organizations, we 

 didn't make a hard decision, but assumed that 

 we would have broad appeal. There have always 

 been grand dreams that TCS would be a 'think 

 tank,' a policy forum, a job fair, etc." 



He credits Margaret Davidson, director of 

 NOAA's Coastal Services Center and former 

 South Carolina Sea Grant director, with 



establishing a forum for land-use and property 

 rights issues. 



"Orbach took the time to push us toward 

 thinking about ourselves as an emerging 

 profession with particular standards and 

 specialties. And Tom Bigford spent much time 

 upgrading the TCS Bulletin" says Hershman. 



Bigford, who directs the NOAA/NMFS 

 Habitat Protection Division, served as Bulletin 

 editor for 17 years. 



Though he has been on the TCS board in 

 various capacities, Bigford is proudest to have 

 been a prime mover behind the student awards 

 for papers at the biennial conference. Student 

 members of TCS chapters at ECU, Duke and the 

 University of Washington make poster and 

 paper presentations at special conference 

 sessions. 



"The student award is named for me, and 

 gives me a chance every two years to convince 

 folks that I am still alive," Bigford jokes. 



Bigford believes the next generation of 

 coastal managers will benefit from the collective 

 experience of a diverse TCS membership. 

 "Members represent a cross-section of coastal 



fields from students to professionals, from 

 conservation to development, biology to 

 engineering, teaching to library science. They 

 are from U.S. coasts and overseas," he says. 



There's much to be said for the TCS 

 networking. Even after nearly three decades in 

 his field, he says, "Habitat is a common 

 integrator among scientists, fishery managers, 

 the private sectors and the public. Networking is 

 important in this field. I have used my volunteer 

 work with The Coastal Society and my 

 professional career with NOAA to weave 

 several networks." 



Bigford says the role of TCS is to educate 

 and communicate, to share information and to 

 encourage deeper thought about how the nation 

 uses its coastal resources. 



Coastal management challenges include 

 grappling with ecosystem-based approaches to 

 fishery management, burgeoning port and 

 harbor development, and environmentally sound 

 aquaculture, he says. 



Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, Bigford adds, 

 "And, balancing uses in Marine Protected Areas 

 Continued 



COASTWATCH 19 



