Marine Coastal Ecosystems

Types

• There are many types of marine coastal ecosystems. They include salt marshes, mangrove swamps, wetlands, estuaries, certain coral reefs, bays, lagoons and kelp and sea grass beds. There are also numerous rocky, sandy and muddy intertidal systems. All of these have their own unique life forms.

Benefits

• Marine coastal ecosystems offer numerous benefits. For one, they're able to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They also provide ecological protection. Mangrove forests are nursing grounds for small fish, sea grass beds stabilize sediments and salt marshes act as storm barriers. Commercially, these ecosystems provide support for fisheries in addition to supplies of fish, shellfish and other harvestable goods for local fishermen and communities.

Threats

• These coastal ecosystems have been in decline for the past few decades, mainly due to human interaction, which can include overfishing and pollution from nearby industrial and municipal areas. Natural occurrences such as hurricanes have also been responsible for displacing wildlife in these ecosystems and disrupting their balance.