Misquito Keys, off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.

Both the coral reef of the Caribbean and the rocky shore of Maine have intrinsic value as unique marine ecosystems. They provide people with a variety of fishing, tourism, and recreational opportunities but are at the same time threatened by these and other human activities. As we learn more about these special places, we find that the world itself is one larger ecosystem — where our actions affect the lives of all species, including our own.