Introduction: Coastal Ecosystem Services at Risk

Sustainable development depends on the provision of multiple marine ecosystem services. A comparative analysis of the northern Adriatic Sea and Chesapeake Bay conducted 20 years ago focused on ecosystem characterization and the impacts of local pressures (nutrient enrichment, fishing, and coastal development). To gain a better understanding of how these pressures are impacting sustainable development in the context of global climate change, an update of this analysis is presented in this book, with an emphasis on the pressures of nutrient enrichment and climate-driven changes in ocean temperature, acidification, and wet precipitation.