In line with direct loss of ecosystems, other factors are significantly changing the coastal ecosystem. These factors are overharvesting, pollution and waste, population growth, and looming threat of climate change.
Overharvesting have left many fish stocks depleted or in dangerous. Overexploitation of fish, seaweeds, shellfish and other marine organism not only diminishes production of harvested species but also can enormously change species composition and the biological structure of coastal ecosystems.
Pollution and waste as a second factors which changing coastal ecosystem condition can be classified into toxic chemicals (including heavy metals, organic chemical and radioactive waste), nutrients (including sewage and agriculture fertilizer), sediment and solid waste. Most pollution and waste of coastal ecosystem comes from the land, but atmospheric sources of coastal waters such as oil leaks also play an important role.
Population growth, people whose activities give impact to coastal ecosystems is much greater than the actual indigenous coastal population because rivers deliver waste or pollutant from inland watershed and population to surrounding coastal ecosystems.
Climate change is to be enormous topic as an impact of human activities toward environment. Global climate change may give other pressures on coastal ecosystems through the additional effects of changed ocean circulation patterns, warmer temperatures of sea water, rising sea levels and changing storm frequency.