Coastal urbanization, an issue for marine conservation

Coastal zones provide about 70% of world’s ecosystems services. However, more than 25% of these habitats have been modified by human activity at both land and sea. At the intertidal ecotonal zone, habitat modification is equally severe, as almost 20% of world’s shoreline is now artificial. Coastal defense structures are more abundant in areas where the ecosystem richness, diversity and productivity are higher, such as coastal lagoons, estuaries and bays. As these degraded areas are under high human pressure, their protection should be prioritized. Coastal infrastructure, particularly those enclosing highly modified water bodies, such as ports and marinas, are hubs for pollution and human activities, such as trade and leisure. These have become a serious threat to marine coastal communities, due to habitat degradation and disease spread, and ecological-engineering interventions are now an imperative to integrate urban with nature and improve life and ecosystem quality for coastal settlements.