Littoral 2008 is a EUCC-The Coastal Union and EUROCOAST event, organised by CORILA in cooperation with University Ca' Foscari, CNR- National Research Council of Italy, LaguNet- The Italian network of research on lagoons, and the support of two relevant EU projects of 6th FP, ENCORA and SPICOSA.

The Italian research network on the lagoons, LaguNet participated, too

As a major European event, the Littoral series of conferences attracts an international audience of coastal researchers, managers and practitioners. Littoral 2008 is rich of about 250 contributions from all over Europe and beyond, in this volume printed as abstracts and collected in their extended versions in the CD annexed. A warm thanks should be given to all the Authors and to the Scientific Committee, who selected the contributions on the basis of a larger number of proposals

Littoral 2008 has a unique opportunity to build upon some recent developments in coastal management, overcoming the fragmentation that still exists both in coastal policy-making and research.

During Littoral 2008 some sessions are dedicated to ENCORA, an important EU-FP6 Concerned Action on Coastal Research and Management. A number of workshops and meetings complete the programme, offering a large and comprehensive occasion for gathering and discussion, promoting a real cross-fertilisation between different disciplines and experiences.

Finally, it is a kind duty to thanks the Institutions who gave their patronage to Littoral 2008, demonstrating a vivid attention to the coastal problems and underlining the responsibility of the scientific and technical communities to provide sound solutions, to be selected, accepted and implemented by the whole society. They are: UNEP-MAP, Regione del Veneto, Provincia di Venezia, Comune di Venezia.

It is an honour and a privilege for CORILA to contribute to this realisation

Pierpaolo Campostrini

Managing director of CORILA and Co-Chair of Littoral 2008