Vulnerability is related to the likelihood that a population, community, or habitat will experience substantial alteration from short-term or chronic disturbance, and to the likelihood that it would recover and in what time frame. These are, in turn, related to the characteristics of the ecosystems themselves, especially biological and structural aspects. Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems features may be physically or functionally fragile. The most vulnerable ecosystems are those that are both easily disturbed and are very slow to recover, or may never recover.