Description:
The complex interdependence of ecosystems and economies will grow with increasing uses of land, marine, and coastal resources, resulting in particularly heavy economic and environmental pressures on the Nation’s coastal communities. Continued growth in coastal populations, economic expansion, and global trade will further increase the need for safe and efficient maritime transportation. Similarly, the Nation’s profound need for conventional and alternative energy presents many economic opportunities but will also result in greater competition for ocean space, challenging our ability to make informed decisions that balance conflicting demands as well as economic and environmental considerations. At the same time, the interdependence of ecosystems and economies makes coastal and Great Lakes communities increasingly vulnerable to chronic — and potentially catastrophic — impacts of natural and human-induced hazards, including climate change, oil spills, harmful algal blooms and pathogen outbreaks, and severe weather hazards.
