An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

CHAPTER 11CONSERVING AND RESTORINGCOASTAL HABITATWetlands, estuaries, seagrass beds, mudflats, sand beaches, mangrove forests,coral reefs… these are just some of the diverse habitats that make up theocean and coastal environment and provide invaluable benefits to humans andmarine life. Marine habitats face increasing pressures as activities within oceanand coastal areas intensify. Coastal habitat conservation and restorationshould be integral to ocean and coastal management, as well as to themanagement of activities within watersheds, and should be strengthenedthrough the development of national, regional, and local goals,the institution of a dedicated program for coastal and estuarine conservation,better coordination of federal habitat-related activities,and improved research, monitoring, and assessment.Assessing the Threats to Coastal HabitatThe diverse habitats that comprise the ocean and coastalenvironment provide tangible benefits such as bufferingcoastal communities against the effects of storms, filtering pollutantsfrom runoff, and providing a basis for booming recreationand tourism industries. These habitats also provide spawninggrounds, nurseries, shelter, and food for marine life, including adisproportionate number of rare and endangered species. 1As more people come to the coast to live, work, and visit, coastal habitatsface increasing pressures. Most human activities in coastal areas providedistinct societal benefits, such as dredging rivers and harbors to facilitate navigation,converting forests and wetlands for agriculture and development, and buildingdams for flood control and hydropower. But these activities can also degradecoastal habitats and compromise their ability to adapt to environmental changes.Serious habitat degradation is evident in every region, state, territory, and communityalong the nation’s coastline. Since the early settlers arrived in the United States, thenation has lost more than half of its wetlands—over 110 million acres. 2 California has lost91 percent of its wetlands since the 1780s. 3 The Southeastern United States experienced aloss of over 2.3 million acres of wetlands from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. 4 Significantwetlands loss has also occurred in the Pacific Islands. For example, American Samoa haslost about 25 percent of its wetlands to development, and much of the original extent ofwetlands in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has been altered. 5Many mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs have also fared poorly. Shallowwaterreefs near urbanized coasts in the United States have been degraded by environmen-170 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY