The concept of resource dependency has been used to describe the relationship between community stability and a variety of natural resource systems. Resource‐dependent communities frequently are described as being vulnerable to externally induced changes because of their reliance on a single resource system. Most of the literature on this topic has focused on North America. In this article, the concept of resource dependency is applied to the coastal zone of Southeast Asia. Resource dependency in this context takes on a very different form due to the complexity and high natural productivity of tropical coastal ecosystems. These conditions create multiple economic niches for coastal residents, thus providing an important measure of community stability within the coastal resource system. This stability is being challenged by development policies that promote economic specialization—the classic pitfall of resource‐dependent communities. An alternative ecosystem approach to coastal community development is proposed.