Abstract
Coastal research and management often has an issue-specific focus, with little attention paid to the interdependencies of various issues. A systems approach to coastal research andmanagement consists of: (i) identifying the underlying drivers of change and potential management leverage points for maximum impact; (ii) development of potential strategies for ecosystem-based management; (iii) evaluation of the consequences of potential solutions and comparing solution outcomes; and (iv) reflecting on potential short- and long-term implications of potential management strategies. This paper presents examples of systems approaches to coastal research and management, and describes the potential application of a systems approach to the Sydney region.