Global rarity of intact coastal regions

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.

Automated summary

Management of the land-sea interface is crucial for global conservation and sustainability objectives. However, current assessments of coastal regions are limited by their focus on either the terrestrial or marine realm. The global assessment revealed that only 15.5% of coastal regions have low anthropogenic pressure, while 47.9% are heavily affected by human activities. In most countries, more than half of their coastal regions are degraded. Additionally, nearly half of the protected areas in coastal regions are exposed to high human pressures.