In short, the oceans are a highly productive system which continuously recycles the chemicals necessary for living organisms to survive. However, development in many ways is now threatening the oceans and other seas. Although the oceans are vast, they are not infinite in their resources or in what they are able to bear. Change takes place gradually in the open seas and the risks are numerous. The fate of the oceans and the future of our planet are intimately related.
Coastal zones are home to the oceans' bounty.
Here, microscopic plants and the small animals which feed on them flourish. These zones are the hatcheries and feeding grounds for important fish and shellfish species. They are home for 30,000 species of mollusc and almost all species of crustaceans. Coastal zones have also attracted many varieties of birds, animals and, perhaps the greatest potential threat, human beings. Seven out of ten people in the world live within 80 kilometers of a coast.