The coastal zone of East Africa includes the coastal lowlands from Sudan to South Africa, the nearshore islands off the coasts of Tanzania and Mozambique , and the oceanic islands of Madagascar, th Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius and Reunion. In some of the countries of the region, at least 80 percent of the population can be considered to be coastal. Overexplotiation of coastal and marine resources and the degradation of the resource base could significantly limit the sub-region’s potential for sustainable economic growth and development.