Coastal Environments have a deep history of exploration, exploitation, and cultural influence. They are diverse in their biology, productivity, and ecology. This book will focus on a subset of coastal environments that figure prominently as foundations for understanding ecological theories, global biogeographic patterns, and supporting human livelihoods. Key features of showcased coastal ecosystems will be researched and their relationship to coastal productivity and biodiversity explored. Processes that maintain diverse biological communities and their interdependent relationships will be presented to define major types of coastal habitats. Rocky shores, sandy beaches, mangroves and salt marshes, and reefs of different kinds will be highlighted for the ecosystem services they provide. Environmental drivers shape the kinds and numbers of plants and animals found in these coastal ecosystems and make each unique. The findings will culminate in creating a platform for examining the ties of human livelihoods to coastal environments and their precarious integrity stemming from the degradation of ecosystem services due to urbanisation and climate change.