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Conceptual model for implementing Rights of Nature in the context of coastal areas. • Marine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change, rising sea levels and coastal infrastructure development. • PEC 3/2022 aims to reform the Brazilian Law to transfer ownership of part of the coastal areas, currently under federal jurisdiction, to the Brazilian states and municipalities. • Public opposition to PEC 3/2022 has been surprisingly strong in comparison to other antienvironment regulations proposed recently. • Amid these legal and political debates, the Rights of Nature (RoN) framework emerges as a potential tool for strengthening marine ecosystem protection. • RoN implementation requires more than legal reform: it needs broad coalitions, including public mobilization and democratic engagement. Exploring nature's rights for coasts is urgent as rising seas, marine heatwaves, and storms increasingly threaten ecosystems, biodiversity, and livelihoods. New legal propositions currently under discussion in the Brazilian Congress will have important consequences for coastal ecosystems and the people that rely on them (i.e., Proposed Constitutional Amendment, PEC 3/2022). Here, we navigate through some of these recent debates to highlight opportunities for pioneering legislation reforms that target coastal conservation in Brazil. The successful case of public engagement to resist PEC 3/2022 sheds light on the potential of Brazilian people’s support to advance nature protection, starting from the littoral zones. Given the fragility of coastal protection in the country, integrating ethical dimensions through the lens of rights of nature provides a powerful framework for more effective science-based conservation. The key takeaway is that granting rights to coasts, backed by civic engagement, could foster their ecological resilience to escalating human threats.
Fernandes et al. (2026) studied this question.