How do humans impact marine ecosystems through coastal development?

Coastal development significantly impacts marine ecosystems through habitat destruction and pollution. As humans build infrastructure such as roads, ports, and residential areas along coastlines, natural habitats like mangroves, wetlands, and coral reefs are often altered or entirely destroyed. This loss of habitat directly affects the species that rely on these ecosystems for shelter, breeding, and feeding.

Furthermore, coastal development typically leads to increased runoff from land, introducing pollutants such as fertilizers, pesticides, and waste into the marine environment. This pollution can result in nutrient overloading, which leads to problems like algal blooms that deplete oxygen in the water and harm aquatic life. The overall degradation of these ecosystems reduces biodiversity and disrupts the delicate balance of marine habitats, making option C the most accurate reflection of the impacts of coastal development on marine ecosystems.