The coastal water of Southeast Asia are among the most productive and biologically diverse in the world.
As a consequence, there are critical both for economic and food security, and as a global conservation priority.
High rates of population growth, rapidly increasing food need, as well as differing and uneven level of economic development, resource use, and technological change, are putting enormous pressure on the region’s coastal resource. These water are now experiencing increased levels of conflict and social unrest, effecting both security and environmental sustainability.