Between November 20 and 23, 2000, the workshop "Baltic Coastal Ecosystems - Structure, Function and Coastal Zone Management" took place in Rostock, Ger many. The workshop was organised by the Institute of Aquatic Ecology of the University of Rostock and the Baltic Sea Research Institute Warnemiinde on be half of the Wissenschafts-Verbund Umwelt (WVU) at the University of Rostock. It was the third trans-disciplinary event that tried to link ecological and socio economical aspects with respect to the Baltic Sea. The first symposium was held in 1992, entitled "The Future of the Baltic Sea - Ecology, Economics, Administra tion and Teaching", and the second event took place in 1996, entitled "Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions - a Comparison Between North Atlantic Coast and Baltic Sea". The workshop "Baltic Coastal Ecosystems - Structure, Function and Coastal Zone Management" tried to provide an interdisciplinary forum for discussions, the exchange of ideas and the presentation of scientific results with respect to the Bal tic coast.

The first comprehensive overview of the enormous ecological diversity of Baltic coastal ecosystems is presented in this volume provides. A short introduction into the Baltic Sea as a reference ecosystem is followed by detailed descriptions of the characteristics of coastal ecosystems. Ecological case studies from four regions illustrate the different reactions of these ecosystems to natural and anthropogenic influences.

The present text compiles the latest research within the field of biology performed in the Baltic Sea area. The themes span from theoretical and philosophical aspects of the ecosystem concept over population and autecological studies to detailed descriptions of plant and animal physiology. Results from microcosm and mesocosm experiments as well as direct observations in field together bring insight of the special structure and function of the Baltic Sea ecosystem. How the spawning success of cod and spat are dependent of each other and environmental factors, the impact of alien species to the composition of plankton or benthic communities, the flip of phytobenthic to planktonic communities in lagoons and mechanisms triggering the change, pure descriptions of e.g. the Estonian coast and shallow off shore areas as well as strategies for the reproductive success of Fucus vesiculosus, and the influence of eutrophication of the different Baltic Sea areas and the fate of pollutants as radionucleids and PAH etc. and other themes are all discussed in the 24 original papers of this volume.