Sea Bird Habitat (California)

Scenic Cruising in Portland Harbor

The Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark, now a museum in dry dock in Greenwich, England, held the record as the fastest tea clipper in the 19th Century.

Leque Island Wetlands Restoration (Puget Sound)

Leque Island was created by diking and draining a wetland at the mouth of the Stillaquamish River on the eastern shore of Puget Sound, Washington. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife restored the wetland to enhance habitat for...

Severe Beach Erosion at South Nags Head, NC (2009)

Landowners who build near the shore are at risk of losing their property to coastal erosion and tides as surges become ever higher in face of sea level rise and climate change. Photo Courtesy Craig Landry.

California King Tides

“King Tides” occur when the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon are in alignment. When these tides happen at the same time as stormy weather, high water levels indicate how climate change might impact our communities in the future...

Deep Sea Mining Threatens Ocean Ecosystems

Rare earth metals are found in or on the seabed, and a growing number of governments and companies are developing deep seabed mining ventures for mineral exploration. Mining could devastate biodiversity hotspots as sediment waste and...

Algal Bloom on China's Coasts

An algae bloom, or “green tide,” has clogged nearly 7,700 square miles (20,000 square kilometers) of the Yellow Sea. Such massive blooms require waters rich in phosphorus and nitrogen, which originate in fertilizers and are carried to the...

South Korean Seafood Market

Seafood provides a large part of people's food worldwide and contributes much to local economies. But international fishing pressures threaten ocean ecosystems. Nonmarket values and subsidies play a significant role in the equation. Photo...

Complex Marine Economy in U.S. Harbors

Tugboats, cargo ships, cruise ships, and recreational tour boats all contribute to a very diverse marine economy, playing a critical role in assisting with the flow of commerce in our nation’s ports and harbors. Photo courtesy of Charles...

Virginia Beach

Virginia is among top ten beach nourishment states by expenditure in the U.S. Over four-fifths of funding comes from the federal government. (NOEP, 2014)

Oil Rigs in Louisiana

Offshore oil production in LA comprised over 500 million barrels in 2010 (State of the U.S. Ocean & Coastal Economies 2014, NOEP). Courtesy of Charles Colgan.

Pacific Grove, CA

Use of non-native plant species to stabilize beaches is common in California. Photo courtesy of Charles Colgan.

Local Economies Evolve in Face of Seafood Declines

Economies in small coastal communities in the Northeastern U.S. have evolved as supplies of lobster and other seafood decline precipitously. Courtesy Charles Colgan.

New Beach House

Adaptations will be necessary in face of Sea Level Rise. This home was rebuilt on the Mississippi coast after Hurricane Katrina struck the area. Courtesy Charles Colgan.

Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula

Built in 1919, Pebble Beach Golf Links faces severe storm damage in face of sea level rise. Most or all of the rise can be attributed to global warming, which warms and expands global oceans, and causes glaciers and ice sheets to decay...

Miami's South Beach

The tourism and recreation economic sector has nine industries, with eating & drinking places and hotels & lodging accounting for 94% of 2010 sector employment (NOEP, 2014)

Nonmarket Value of Waves

The thousands of miles of coastline in America, with majestic beaches and diverse marine wildlife, are some of the nation's most enduring treasures. Photo courtesy of Judith Kildow.

Año Nuevo State Park, California

Ano Nuevo State Park, California provides economic support to the state via tourist visits. Photo: Michael Vincent McGinnis, 2014.