1. Ahrens, C. D. (2005). Essentials of Meteorology: An Invitation to the Atmosphere (4th ed.). California: Thomson. 2. Herring, D., Weier, J., & Gubbels, T. (2002, August). Environmental Indicators for Coastal Management. Earth Observation Magazine, 11(8). 3. Hutchinson, S. & Hawkins, L. E. (2005). Oceans: A Visual Guide. New York: Firefly Books. 4. Sustain Healthy Coasts. (2005). NOAA Strategic Plan – Executive Summary. Retrieved July 20, 2007, from http://www.noaa.gov/str-plan/m-coasts.html

Coral Reefs Coral reef habitats cover 0.2% of the ocean floor. Despite their small percentage, coral reefs are a crucial part of the marine habitat because they are home to millions of fish and marine plants. During the past 50 years, humans have put a strain on coral reefs by altering their surrounding waters and disturbing their foundations. Currently, 27% of coral reefs have been lost and 32% are at risk of being lost in the near future.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

Coastal Pollution The two major sources of coastal pollution include, land run-off and conscious dumping of hazardous material into the ocean. Marine pollution is becoming more evident in the increased amount of trash found on the beaches. Less visible to the naked eye, but equally as dangerous are the chemicals rapidly accumulating in our rivers, lakes, and oceans, which are contaminating marine food chains on a global scale.

http://www.foprobim.org/

Fishing and Shellfish Farming Oceans have helped to provide communities along the coasts with food for thousands of years. Today, many commercial and sport fisheries rely on remote sensing measurements of sea surface temperatures to capture images of the boundary lines between warm and cold water masses in the ocean. Since fish and shellfish typically school along these boundaries, fishermen can more effectively harvest fish and shellfish. However, as a result of improved fishing technology, fish and shellfish are now being over harvested.

What are coasts used for? Coasts provide habitats for various marine organisms. Currently, earth’s marine habitats are showing signs of stress. Increased habitat destruction, coastal pollution, and over fishing have begun to diminish the population of coastal fish, shellfish, and other various species. Also, natural resources in coastal areas have been depleted in response to rapid population growth and increased demand.

Make an Effort A majority of the public has very little insight into the devastation currently occurring in marine habitats. With this, society must make an effort to become aware of their surroundings and begin to efficiently manage earth’s coastal and inland waters before these resources become unusable.

Fast Fact: More than 66% of

the world’s population lives

within 62 miles of the coast.

Created by Leeanne Hazzard & Fabrice Veron, 2007 Air-Sea Interaction Laboratory

College of Marine and Earth Studies University of Delaware