the ocean and the marine environment as a whole has become one of the new frontiers and fastest growing areas of the world’s tourism industry. The exact numbers of marine tourists remains unknown. Nevertheless, the selling of ‘sun, sand and surf experiences’, the development of beach resorts and the increasing popularity of marine tourism (e.g. fishing, scuba diving, windsurfing, and yachting) has all placed increased pressure on the coast, an area for which use may already be highly concentrated in terms of agriculture, human settlements, fishing and industrial location. However, because of the highly dynamic nature of the coastal environment any development which interferes with the natural coastal system may have severe consequences for the long-term stability of the environment. Indeed, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recognised: