The single largest natural resource for Micronesia is fish.
Fishing is one of the few resources it has enough of to make a profit.
The very limited land area of the island country limits natural resources to levels that can only be exploited effectively on subsistence levels. Though Micronesia has much forest, it is limited to subsistence harvesting and only two commercial sawmills. Another natural resource is high-grade phosphate, the only significant mineral resource on the islands of Micronesia. Currently, phosphate mining has been very limited in scale, though it has had detremental effects on the environment. Major Environmental and Conservation Issues Badly-planned coastal developement has led to damaged reefs, mangroves, and sea grass beds.