Industrialized countries take a large toll on oceans, coastal areas, and their resources through unsustainable consumption patterns, finds a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The most serious problems affecting marine and coastal environments include habitat destruction and alteration, sewage discharges, eutrophication, overfishing, and changes in sediment flows due to hydrological alterations. The report also blames widespread poverty and population growth worldwide for undermining the sustainable use of ocean resources. Among other actions to control land-based activities, UNEP recommends national policies that take the economic value of environmental goods and services into account. Protecting the Oceans from Land-based Activities can be accessed at www.gpa.unep.org/documents. —KRIS CHRISTEN