Better knowledge about the relationships among population, coastal environments, and consumption is absolutely essential if we are to arrive at adequate policies and management systems. Vibrant economic activity in the coastal zones of the world, and the effects of accompanying human population growth, have led to much research, many environmental assessments, and much management and policy action over the years. However, surprisingly little of this has been directed to better understanding who is populating the coasts, what resources they are using, and how demographic factors such as migration and fertility affect consumption and the coastal environment.