Our Marine Matters special explores the impact of people and corporations on these complex systems. Mangroves are a focus: Grettel Navas Obando introduces the notion of Blue Carbon; Stephanie Williamson reports on their contamination in El Salvador; and we look at the rise of shrimp producing ‘gangsters’ in Honduras. The fortunes of endangered marine species are investigated. Elsewhere, human rights abuses of environmentalists unfortunately feature yet again.