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Coastal &
marine ecosystems include the shorelines of all Pacific
islands and their associated species, including beaches, tide pools, and strand
vegetation as well as dynamic processes that cause shoreline change, such as
tides, erosion, and sedimentation. These
systems also encompass upland areas potentially affected by future sea level
rise. They include the coral reefs and
other shallow water ecosystems that surround Pacific islands as well as the
open ocean processes and features important to island species, such as zones of
high productivity relied upon by albatross and other seabirds. These systems include human interactions and
uses of living resources that affect species or ecosystem processes, for
example fishing and recreational development.