Biodiversity in the Seas: Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in Marine and Coastal Habitats

The document describes the composition and critical importance of marine and coastal biodiversity, while highlighting the unprecedented scale of degradation caused by human activities across all global regions.

• Marine and coastal biodiversity includes a vast array of species, genetic variety, habitats, ecosystems, and ecological processes. The oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface and contain 99% of the volume known to support life, with coastal ecosystems like mangrove forests, wetlands, and estuaries providing significant value to coastal communities.
• Human activities are causing an unprecedented depletion of living resources and degradation of ecosystems in marine and coastal areas. This loss of biodiversity, characterized by the decimation of stocks and ecosystem imbalances, threatens the adaptive potential of these systems and their capacity to satisfy future human requirements.
• Despite a common misconception that the oceans possess infinite resilience and limitless resources, evidence shows that all regions—including tropical, temperate, and polar latitudes in both developed and developing countries—face increasing threats to marine and coastal biodiversity.

APA

Fountaubert, D., Downes, & Agardy (1996). Biodiversity in the Seas: Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in Marine and Coastal Habitats. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/reports/biodiversity-in-the-seas-implementing-the-convention-on-biological-diversity-in-marine-and-coastal-habitats-iucncielwwf-1996-de-fountaubert-downes-agardy-republished-in-georgetown-internat-2/

Chicago

Fountaubert, De, Downes, and Agardy. Biodiversity in the Seas: Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in Marine and Coastal Habitats. Center for International Environmental Law, 1996. https://www.ciel.org/reports/biodiversity-in-the-seas-implementing-the-convention-on-biological-diversity-in-marine-and-coastal-habitats-iucncielwwf-1996-de-fountaubert-downes-agardy-republished-in-georgetown-internat-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fountaubert |first1=De |last2=Downes |last3=Agardy |title=Biodiversity in the Seas: Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in Marine and Coastal Habitats |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=1 January 1996 |url=https://www.ciel.org/reports/biodiversity-in-the-seas-implementing-the-convention-on-biological-diversity-in-marine-and-coastal-habitats-iucncielwwf-1996-de-fountaubert-downes-agardy-republished-in-georgetown-internat-2/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fountaubert1996biodiversity, author = {Fountaubert, De and Downes and Agardy}, title = {{Biodiversity in the Seas: Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in Marine and Coastal Habitats}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {1996}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ciel.org/reports/biodiversity-in-the-seas-implementing-the-convention-on-biological-diversity-in-marine-and-coastal-habitats-iucncielwwf-1996-de-fountaubert-downes-agardy-republished-in-georgetown-internat-2/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }