The main threats to marine conservation and the reason that conservation is urgently needed include:
•Destructive fishing activities, such as bottom trawling and dynamite fishing around coral reefs
•Coastal developments which cause subsequent soil runoff and erosion as a result dredging
•Pollution caused by coastal development and fishing and mining operations
•Destruction of seagrass beds and other habitats from sediments being suspended in water as a result of dredging ship canals