With more than half of the American people living along our Nation's coasts, extreme beach and cliff erosion can dramatically alter coastal ecosystems, cause billions of dollars' worth of coastal development, and even threaten human life.

Through projects like the National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards and regional studies of nearshore processes, the US Geological Survey is uncovering the science behind coastal change hazards and providing data, tools, and scientific knowledge to help coastal planners, resource managers, and emergency operations as they work to reduce risk along our coastlines.