The Coastal States Organization represents the nation’s Coastal States, Territories, and Commonwealths on ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resource issues.

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Source: NOAA OCM

If you’re familiar with NOAA’s Digital Coast, you know that it’s a resource that’s all about providing actionable information to coastal communities large and small, while demonstrating a collaborative approach that aligns with the needs and technical capacities of the communities served by NOAA.

NOAA's Digital Coast Partnership is made up of nine non-governmental membership organizations including the Coastal States Organization, Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), American Planning Association (APA), National Association of Counties (NACo), National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA), National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), The Nature Conservancy, and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

The partner organizations have extensive experience individually and together supporting communities, large and small, as they work to apply policy, data, tools, and training toward local natural disaster resilience through vulnerability assessments, adaptation and hazard mitigation planning efforts, and other activities. NOAA is now drawing on that experience, engaging the Digital Coast Partners to provide technical assistance to Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) funded projects around the country.

The Climate Resilience Regional Challenge is a $573 million grant program administered by the NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management that supports collaborative projects aimed at increasing coastal community resilience to extreme weather. By focusing on risk reduction, community engagement, regional coordination, and long-term capacity building, the initiative will drive significant outcomes, including extensive habitat restoration, land acquisition, infrastructure improvements, the creation of community adaptation plans, and substantial investments in workforce development and economic activity.

Read more here.

South Carolina Department of Environmental Services Seeking Entries for Annual Coastal Photography Contest

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) is now accepting entries for its annual Coastal Photography Contest. Amateur and professional photographers alike are invited to submit their favorite images of South Carolina’s coast for a chance to have their work featured on the agency’s 2027 Tide Tables Poster. The contest celebrates the natural beauty, wildlife and coastal landscapes that make South Carolina’s shoreline unique. Each year, the winning image is showcased on the Tide Tables Poster, one of the agency’s most requested and widely distributed publications. “From quiet marsh sunsets to coastal wildlife and scenic shorelines, South Carolina’s coast offers endless opportunities for stunning photography,” said Chris Stout, Chief of SCDES's Bureau of Coastal Management. “This contest is a chance to showcase the natural beauty of our coastal resources for people across the state." Last year's winner was "Jumping for Joy" by Lorraine Holcombe, featuring a joyful moment captured at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet. Read more here.

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $45 Million to Protect Massachusetts Communities from Flooding, Extreme Heat, and Climate Impacts

The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced more than $45 million in grants to support 97 projects that will help communities across Massachusetts better withstand flooding, extreme heat, coastal erosion, and other climate impacts. The funding, awarded through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEA’s) new Environment & Climate (ECO) One Stop program, will help strengthen infrastructure, restore and enhance natural resources, and improve public safety while making it easier to access state funding for climate resilience projects. The administration announced the first round of ECO One Stop grant awards at Winter Island Park in Salem, where funding will support coastal bank restoration that protects the shoreline from storm damage and erosion. The project will improve public safety and pedestrian access, restore native vegetation, and preserve archaeological and historic resources dating back 6,000 years. Read more here.

Florida - Collier County Approves $100k for New Artificial Reef

Collier County has accepted $100,000 to build an artificial reef to address the decline of marine ecosystems caused by climate change, overfishing, development and pollution — and increase tourism through fishing and diving opportunities. The Board of County Commissioners, in absentia on Aug. 11, accepted a $50,000 grant from the nonprofit Collier Community Foundation, which will be matched by $50,000 from Coastal Conservation Association Florida, an Orlando-based nonprofit. The county’s Paradise Coast Reef program was established in the early 1980s to promote tourism, provide fishing and diving opportunities and enhance marine habitat. At least 37 reefs were created using 18,000 tons of recycled concrete through regional projects managed since the late 1970s, including by the cities of Naples and Marco Island. The reef is expected to be completed later this year and will be monitored for three years to determine its impact, with researchers measuring the presence of corals and sponges and the variety of fish species. Within days of deployment, fish begin gathering at artificial reefs. Read more here.

Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council Requests Project Suggestions for RESTORE Act Funding

The Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council (AGCRC) was established through the RESTORE Act to guide how Direct Component (Bucket 1) and Spill Impact Component (Bucket 3) RESTORE Funding is prioritized and used for coastal recovery in Alabama. The AGCRC has 10 members: the Governor of Alabama, the Director of the Alabama Port Authority, the President of the Mobile County Commission, the Chair of the Baldwin County Commission, and the Mayors of Bayou La Batre, Dauphin Island, Mobile, Fairhope, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach. The AGCRC supports the development and approval of Multiyear Implementation Plans for Bucket 1 and State Expenditure Plans for Bucket 3. In doing so the AGCRC considers eligible restoration and economy recovery activities and helps ensure selected projects align with RESTORE Act goals for restoring ecosystems, strengthening coastal communities, and supporting long-term recovery from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. To date the AGCRC has funded 46 projects valued at over $435 million. Read more here.

ODNR Honors Hall of Fame Inductees and Cardinal Award Winners

On August 5th, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) celebrated and honored 13 recipients for their achievements in conservation and protection of Ohio’s natural resources with a special ceremony at the Ohio State Fair. Two recipients were honored for their work with Ohio's coast. In 1979, Dr. David Klarer embarked on a career that shaped the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve to become an exemplary freshwater wetland and research location. Dr. Dave, as he is affectionately known, helped to preserve some of the highest-quality remaining coastal wetlands in the state. Since 2012, Melinda Huntley has served as executive director of the Ohio Travel Association. Beginning in the late 1980s, Melinda was an early leader in recognizing the connection between outdoor recreation, tourism, and conservation. Her contributions began in the Lake Erie region, where she launched a multi-county birding effort and the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail while also promoting sportfishing with events like dropping a walleye on New Year’s Eve to bring national awareness to Ohio’s world-class fishery. Read more here.

Along Lake Superior, Erosion Threatens the Dead and the Living's Memories

Low lying cemeteries near shorelines face threats of erosion as water levels rise. That is especially true for two cemeteries near Lake Superior, the largest of the country's Great Lakes. Cemeteries are supposed to be a final resting place for the dead, but in coastal areas they can be threatened by erosion, and that's particularly true along the Great Lakes. And for two cemeteries near Lake Superior, it has become a dire situation. Scandia Cemetery sits on a bluff about 30 feet above Lake Superior. At least 1,500 people are buried there. Many of them Scandinavian immigrants who came to Duluth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It's a beautiful spot. The impact of coastal erosion was exposed two years ago, when a family cane across a skull and bones on the shore. A county study at Scandia Cemetery found that 50 to a hundred graves nearest the lake are at risk. Read more here.

Guam Coastal Cleanup Marks 32 Years

The Bureau of Statistics and Plans and its Guam Coastal Management Program opened registration this week for the 32nd annual Guam International Coastal Cleanup, set for Saturday, Sept. 19, at sites around the island. The event is part of the Ocean Conservancy's global cleanup movement, and organizers say it has grown steadily since it began on Guam three decades ago with 450 volunteers working at three sites. These days, more than 3,000 people turn out each year to clear marine debris from more than 25 beaches, protecting coral reefs and marine life along the way, according to a release from BSP. Beyond picking up trash, organizers are again asking volunteers to log what they find using the Clean Swell smartphone app, entering the group name "GUAM-ICC" so the data feeds directly into the Ocean Conservancy's worldwide database. Read more here.

California Coastal Commission Approves Renovation of Stinson Beach Public Area

The California Coastal Commission on August 13th approved a proposal by the National Park Service for the renovation of Stinson Beach’s public areas, allowing the project to move forward with permitting and construction. Proposed changes include renovations to existing facilities and adjustments to three public parking lots, as well as entrance roads, drainage systems and pedestrian paths. The renovation will also include nature-based sea-level adaptation measures such as restoration of dunes, a floodplain and native vegetation. The popular Marin County oceanside destination attracts about 600,000 visitors a year, according to a 2023 study by Point Blue Conservation Science, a nonprofit environmental research organization based in Marin County. According to a study prepared for Marin County’s Stinson Beach Adaptation and Resilience Collaboration community initiative, a significant amount of land is projected to be lost as sea levels rise. Read more here.

[NEW] WEDG Professionals Course - No/Reduced Cost Training Interest Form

With generous support from the Walton Family Foundation, Waterfront Alliance is sharing access to its popular WEDG Professionals Course. Individuals working on environmental, flooding, or water-related issues in states along the Mississippi River are eligible for the free training. Individuals working at for-profit firms based in or working on environmental, flooding, or water-related projects in states along the Mississippi River. For-profit firms may take the course at a discounted rate of $300. The interest form can be found here.

2026 National Estuaries Week Photo Contest

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management is hosting a photo contest to celebrate National Estuaries Week from September 19 to 27, 2026. Send them your best photos from the National Estuarine Research Reserves that display the beauty of the reserves, critters that live there, and the people who work and play there. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and will be featured in their social media campaign during National Estuaries Week. Details for how to enter are located on the contest webpage.

California Ocean & Coastal Amateur Photography Contest

California is in many ways defined by its coast and ocean. This contest pays tribute to these special places, honors the diversity of wildlife they support, and celebrates access for all. Pictures can feature any of the following subjects: the scenic coast and Pacific Ocean off California, the people of the California Coast, and California ocean and coastal wildlife. Contest entry is free and open to all amateur photographers. Submissions are due by 5pm, September 30, 2026. For more information or questions about entries, contact Lauren.Dung@coastal.ca.gov. Learn more here.

TNC Launches New Tool for Coastal Resilience

TNC and partners released a first‑of‑its‑kind Coastal Resilience methodology that quantifies, in U.S. dollars, the flood-protection value mangroves and tidal marshes deliver to coastal property and communities. Natural protections like mangroves and tidal marshes absorb incoming wave energy at higher rates, protect against storms at lower costs, and provide co-benefits like carbon absorption that mitigates future climate impacts. If a portion of our current protection spending was shifted toward nature‑based solutions, infrastructure needs would reduce, maintenance costs would lower and future flood damages could be avoided. Learn about the tool here.



NOAA Announces New High-Resolution Land Cover Data

NOAA has announced the availability of new high-resolution land cover data—used to document key geographic and landscape features covering Earth’s surface—for coastal communities in Puget Sound, Rhode Island, Northeast Ohio, Mississippi, and Alabama. This new data can be used to protect communities from flooding, inform wetland restoration projects, improve water quality, and more. The data are available from the Digital Coast website. Please reach out to Nate Herold (nate.herold@noaa.gov) if you have any questions.

Funding Opportunity: Fiscal Year 2024 & 2025 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribal governments, and local governments for hazard mitigation activities. It does so by recognizing the need to upgrade and modernize the nation’s infrastructure against the growing risks to communities and the need for natural hazard risk mitigation activities that promote resilience with respect to natural hazards. For this funding opportunity, the program prioritizes investment in infrastructure and construction projects that deliver immediate, measurable risk reduction to communities vulnerable to natural hazards. BRIC emphasizes the adoption and enforcement of modern building codes and limits capability- and capacity-building activities to those directly tied to infrastructure resilience, such as building code adoption and enforcement. Apply here.

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