One third of the world's population lives in coastal areas and rapid development of these areas has meant increased construction of coastal infrastructure and related activities. This has inevitably led to conflicting priorities between coral reef conservation and economic growth. The key impacts of these activities, if not managed, include direct loss of coral reef caused by the removal or burial of reefs, and lethal or sub-lethal stress to corals caused by elevated turbidity and sedimentation rates. Dredging and port construction activities potentially affect not only the site itself, but also surrounding areas.