Coastal & marine ecosystems

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.