▁and ▁urban isation ▁prof ound ly ▁alter ▁these ▁e cos ystem s . ▁These ▁develop ments ▁impact ▁social - ec ological ▁and ▁so cio - e conom ic ▁structures ▁and ▁confront ▁society ▁with ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁sust ain able ▁management ▁of ▁coast al ▁e cos ystem s . ▁Trop ical ▁coast s ▁are ▁particularly ▁vulner able ▁to ▁transformations ▁in ▁their ▁morph ology , ▁e colog ical ▁conditions , ▁and ▁soci etal ▁dynamics . ▁▁ ▁F acing ▁these ▁challeng es ▁requires ▁a ▁hol istic ▁view ▁that ▁en comp ass es ▁entire ▁social - ec ological ▁systems ▁in ▁their ▁complexity . ▁Research ▁at ▁Z MT , ▁therefore , ▁sp ans ▁across ▁various ▁discipl ines ▁and ▁method ologies ▁in ▁natural ▁and ▁social ▁sciences , ▁and ▁involves ▁trans dis cipl inary ▁st ake hold ers ▁at ▁science - to - policy ▁and ▁science - to - p ract ice ▁interfaces . ▁This ▁approach ▁can ▁be ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁unique ▁feature ▁of ▁Z MT . ▁▁ ▁Z MT ▁specifically ▁addresses ▁major ▁soci etal ▁issues , ▁particularly ▁the ▁on going ▁provision ing ▁and ▁sust ain able ▁use ▁of ▁e cos ystem ▁services ▁and ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁e cos ystem s ▁along ▁the ▁dens ely ▁populated ▁and ▁dynamically ▁developing ▁tropical ▁coast s . ▁Active ▁partners hips ▁with ▁academic ▁institutions ▁and ▁actors ▁from ▁civil ▁society , ▁industry , ▁and ▁policy ▁in ▁the ▁trop ics ▁form ▁a ▁trans reg ional ▁research ▁network ▁of ▁immense ▁scientific , ▁technical , ▁and ▁soci etal ▁expert ise . ▁Based ▁on ▁its ▁research ▁activities , ▁Z MT