Coastal development, say marine scientists, is one of the main causes of the ocean's environmental problems. In a survey of the marine environment produced for the new millennium, the experts brought together by the UN pointed out : "Apart from overfishing, the greatest harm is caused by what we do on land – and particularly at the coasts – rather than at sea."
Yet one-third of the world's population already lives within 100 kms of the sea, and the growth rate in coastal areas is increasing, not to speak of the boom in coastal tourism.
Among the coastal ecosystems, the marine scientists have singled out five as being at direct risk from development, as distinct from pollution or overfishing, though many suffer from these problems, too: wetlands, seagrass beds, coastal lagoons, mangroves and shorelines.