The WIO has diverse coastal and marine habitats, but environmental degradation is increasingly problematic. Tourism may increasingly become a threat to the coastal and marine habitats in the WIO. The ecological importance and the contribution to the local economy of the coastal and marine habitats may be partially neglected. Human activities caused by the growth of the tourism sector in the WIO are partially contributing to this environmental change.

What are the most threatened habitats in the WIO region? The natural habitats most at risk and vulnerable are the coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves. These natural habitats are life support systems to an enormous amount of species and other habitats, but are nonetheless often give low priority compared to development issues for the important tourism industry.

Coral reefs in the WIO region are well known for their beauty and diversity. Coral reefs are natural habitats that support a high diversity of fish species and many other organisms. However, coral reefs are continuously being degraded by human activities such as unplanned and intense coastal development, in favour of tourism. Other threats to coral reefs include sea level temperature rise cause by climate change, destructive fishing methods, over fishing and increased pollution and sedimentation.

Seagrass beds form another important habitat that supports a variety of fish species, invertebrates and other organisms. Seagrass beds are very important as nutrient filters from land run-off. One of the big threats to seagrass beds is the physical removal of seagrass in front of hotels and developed areas to make the area look nicer and more attractive for tourists. Coastal pollution, increased silting and sedimentation and some destructive fishing also contributes to the degradation of seagrass areas. Consequently, these activities destroy the water quality and causes unforeseen environmental changes.

Mangrove is another important ecosystem that is very threatened by human activities in the Western Indian Ocean Region. The mangrove ecosystem supports a rich bird life and many fish species, as well as invertebrates. Mangroves are being harvested unsustainably to give wood for construction of houses, boast etc, as well as for fire wood and charcoal production. Mangroves are also being removed for scenic purposes, mainly in front of tourist establishments to give a better view of the beaches. The destruction of mangroves leads to a decline in fisheries and other locally used resources such as honey.

More importantly all these coastal ecosystems are linked and as one system or habitat becomes disturbed another system or subsystem also gets affected. Unplanned or too fast development of the tourism industry may not only threaten the natural habitats in the Western Indian Ocean, but may also threaten the livelihoods of the local people living within the Western Indian Ocean by degrading the resource base they depend upon.