The oceans cover 70% of the planet’s surface area, and marine and coastal environments contain diverse habitats that support an abundance of marine life. Life in our seas produces a third of the oxygen that we breathe, offers a valuable source of protein and moderates global climatic change. Some examples of marine and coastal habitats include mangrove forests; coral reefs; sea grass beds; estuaries in coastal areas; hydrothermal vents; and seamounts and soft sediments on the ocean floor a few kilometres below the surface.Ranging from subtropical to subarctic zones, the Northwest Pacific is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world being home to tens of thousands of marine life species. However, the wealth of fauna and flora inhabiting Northwest Pacific seas and shores is increasingly threatened by non-indigenous invasive species, habitat destruction, over-fishing and climate change (IPBES Regional Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2018).

More than 140 marine life forms in the NOWPAP region are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.Genetic, species and ecosystem diversity are also often grouped as ‘structural diversity’. An example of species diversity is the number of all fish species in the North Sea; genetic diversity indicates for instance the differences in genes between different populations of the same fish species and ecosystem diversity is for instance the number of communities living in different habitats/ecosystems (rocky shores, sandy beaches, soft subtidal, …).

An example of functional diversity is the number of filter feeders in an ecosystem compared to the number of grazers. Functional diversity is thought to be one of the main factors determining the long-term stability of an ecosystem and its ability to recover from major disturbances.