'Hundreds of scientists from many countries … indicate that the oceans' carrying capacity is near or at its limit. It is clear that urgent action on a global scale is needed to protect the world's oceans.' Ban Ki-moon, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, from the Foreword

• Foreword; Preface; Part I. Summary of the First Global Integrated Marine Assessment; Part II. The Context of the Assessment: 1. Introduction: planet, oceans and life; 2. Mandate, information sources and method of work; Part III. Assessment of Major Ecosystem Services from the Marine Environment: 3. Scientific understanding of ecosystem services; 4. The ocean's role in the hydrological cycle; 5. Sea-air interactions; 6. Primary production, cycling of nutrients, surface layer and plankton; 7. Calcium carbonate production and contribution to coastal sediments; 8. Aesthetic, cultural, religious and spiritual ecosystem services derived from the marine environment; 9. Conclusions on major ecosystem services other than provisioning services; Part IV. Assessment of the Cross-Cutting Issues: Food Security and Food Safety: 10. The oceans as a source of food; 11. Capture fisheries; 12. Aquaculture; 13. Fish stock propagation; 14. Seaweeds; 15. Social and economic aspects of sea-based food and fisheries; 16. Synthesis of Part IV: food security and safety; Part V. Assessment of Other Human Activities and the Marine Environment: 17. Shipping; 18. Ports; 19. Submarine cables and pipelines; 20. Coastal, riverine and atmospheric inputs from land; 21. Offshore hydrocarbon industries; 22. Other marine-based energy industries; 23. Offshore mining industries; 24. Solid waste disposal; 25. Marine debris; 26. Land-sea physical interaction; 27. Tourism and recreation; 28. Desalinization; 29. Use of marine genetic resources; 30. Marine scientific research; 31. Conclusions on other human activities; 32. Capacity-building in relation to human activities affecting the marine environment; Part VI. Assessment of Marine Biological Diversity and Habitats: 33. Introduction; Section A. Overview of Marine Biological Diversity: 34. Global patterns in marine biodiversity; 35. Extent of assessment of marine biological diversity; 36. Overview of marine biological diversity; Section B. Marine Ecosystems, Species and Habitats Scientifically Identified as Threatened, Declining or Otherwise in Need of Special Attention or Protection; I. Marine Species: 37. Marine mammals; 38. Seabirds; 39. Marine reptiles; 40. Sharks and other elasmobranchs; 41. Tunas and bill fishes; II. Marine Ecosystems and Habitats: 42. Cold-water corals; 43. Tropical and sub-tropical coral reefs; 44. Estuaries and deltas; 45. Hydrothermal vents and cold seeps; 46. High-latitude ice and the biodiversity dependent on it; 47. Kelp forests and seagrass meadows; 48. Mangroves; 49. Salt marshes; 50. Sargasso sea; 51. Biological communities on seamounts and other submarine features potentially threatened by disturbance; Section C. Environmental, Economic and/or Social Aspects of the Conservation of Marine Species and Habitats and Capacity-Building Needs: 52. Synthesis of Part VI: marine biological diversity and habitats; 53. Capacity-building needs in relation to the status of species and habitats; Part VII. Overall Assessment: 54. Overall assessment of human impact on the oceans; 55. Overall value of the oceans to humans; Annex I. List of contributors and commentators; Annex II. Glossary; Annex III. Acronyms.