From Land to Sea

Since moving out of the oceans and onto dry land, life in its numerous forms has thrived where these two ecosystems intersect. Consisting of habitats such as coral reefs, intertidal zones, estuaries, sandy beaches, and rocky cliffs, coastal areas host a spectacular array of invertebrate and vertebrate life forms adapted to living in these transition zones. Coastal zones are also highly valued by people for their commercial and non-commercial attributes. Although they comprise only about 5% of the earth’s land area, about 40% of the world’s human population lives within 100 kilometers of a coastline. Consequently, only 15% of coastal areas worldwide are considered ecologically intact and have low anthropogenic pressure. Rising sea levels and increased ocean temperatures due to climate change are emerging threats to coastal zones. With this series, I highlight the richness of life, and the beauty of the land and seascapes of our coastal zones. (use the arrows to scroll through the pictures).