About The Issue

Over 220,000 miles of coastline line the edges of the world’s oceans, representing the interface between the land and sea. Though comprising just 7% of the ocean, these coastal ecosystems are some of the most biologically diverse, yet also the most heavily affected by human activity. Coastal ocean habitats include sand dunes, marshes, coastal and mangrove forests, coral reefs and wetlands. These habitats and adjacent waters support a wide variety of marine and terrestrial animals, as well as many valuable economic and recreational opportunities for humans. The habitat structure at this land-sea interface protects our shores from erosion and storm surges, and the coastal ocean also plays an integral role in our weather systems, national defense, shipping activities, fisheries and mineral extraction.

In addition to the shaping forces of waves, tides and currents, our coastlines sustain multiple stressing effects of human activity. Overfishing, industrial pollution, habitat modifications, and agricultural runoff exert a heavy toll on these economically and ecologically valuable regions. Excessive amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen in urban and agricultural runoff reduce oxygen levels in estuaries, sounds and gulfs, making these waters incapable of supporting life. This critical land-sea connection also greatly influences the nation’s water quality. Pollution can facilitate toxic algal blooms and disease-causing microbes, which can cause illness in humans and contaminate marine life. Given the barrage of threats facing our coastal ecosystems, we need solutions to maintain a healthy relationship across the land-sea interface.