In this study, we developed a standardized human impact metric that includes five bay-scale and four local-scale impacts to quantify the range and magnitude of anthropogenic impacts to coastal bays and nearshore biogenic habitats. We then applied this metric to 180 seagrass beds in 52 coastal bays and three provinces across Atlantic Canada. Our results provide insight into where coastal bays and seagrass ecosystems are most and least affected by individual or cumulative human threats, which can inform management and conservation planning. Our impact metric can be applied to other coastal regions and habitats in Canada and beyond.
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