Large conservation opportunities exist in >90% of tropic-subtropic coastal habitats adjacent to cities

Coastal habitats have faced decades of loss caused by urbanization. Global recognition of the ecosystem services that coastal habitats provide has led to an emphasis on cities to adopt nature-based solutions (NBS). However, a broad assessment of urban areas and their potential to conserve remaining coastal habitat has not been undertaken. Here we apply spatial analytics to investigate 5,096 coastal urban areas in tropical and subtropical regions within the distribution of mangroves, tidal flats, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs, and find <50% of urban areas have natural coastal habitats within their extent. Large conservation opportunities for urban areas exist within an adjacent 50 km buffer zone where a significant proportion (93%) of urban-influenced coastal habitat lies and where 26% is currently protected. Potential high-conservation areas across the globe provide a unique opportunity to increase the resilience of urbanizing coasts and NBS for long-term socioeconomic and conservation goals.