Historical loss and recovery prospects of Mediterranean coastal marine habitats

We have reviewed estimates of large-scale trends in the distributions and status of Mediterranean and Black sea coastal habitats. Conspicuous declines of coastal wetlands, seagrasses, biogenic reefs, and complex macroalgae have been observed in several countries. In some regions, most valuable habitats were already severely degraded or driven to virtual extinction well before 1900. Nowadays less than 15% of the coastline is considered in "good" condition. Those fragments of native habitats that remain are under threat, and most current policy and management decisions continue to lead to the functional extinction of these ecosystems. We also discuss recovery prospects for some of these habitats.