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Global rarity of intact coastal regions
Author(s) -
Williams Brooke A.,
Watson James E.M.,
Beyer Hawthorne L.,
Klein Carissa J.,
Montgomery Jamie,
Runting Rebecca K.,
Roberson Leslie A.,
Halpern Benjamin S.,
Grantham Hedley S.,
Kuempel Caitlin D.,
Frazier Melanie,
Venter Oscar,
Wenger Amelia
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/cobi.13874
Subject(s) - geography , sustainability , biodiversity , environmental protection , ecology , biology
Management of the land–sea interface is essential for global conservation and sustainability objectives because coastal regions maintain natural processes that support biodiversity and the livelihood of billions of people. However, assessments of coastal regions have focused strictly on either the terrestrial or marine realm. Consequently, understanding of the overall state of Earth's coastal regions is poor. We integrated the terrestrial human footprint and marine cumulative human impact maps in a global assessment of the anthropogenic pressures affecting coastal regions. Of coastal regions globally, 15.5% had low anthropogenic pressure, mostly in Canada, Russia, and Greenland. Conversely, 47.9% of coastal regions were heavily affected by humanity, and in most countries (84.1%) >50% of their coastal regions were degraded. Nearly half (43.3%) of protected areas across coastal regions were exposed to high human pressures. To meet global sustainability objectives, all nations must undertake greater actions to preserve and restore the coastal regions within their borders.