Supporting the work and shared vision for the protection, conservation, responsible use, and sustainable development of the nation’s coastal resources.
Americans living on
the coast
Supporting the work and shared vision for the protection, conservation, responsible use, and sustainable development of the nation’s coastal resources.
For over 50 years, CSO has worked at the nexus of coastal research, collaboration, and decision-making.
We serve as the collective voice for the nation’s coastal states and territories on federal legislative, administrative, and policy issues relating to coastal, Great Lakes, and ocean management.
40%
Americans living on
the coast
54.6M
People working in
Coastal Counties
$10 Trillion
Goods + Services produced Annually
in Coastal Counties
95,000
Miles of Coastline in the
United States
9 Inches
Sea Level rise predicted
from 2020-2050
$79B
Cost of Hurricanes
in 2021 Alone
We strive to provide coastal states and territories with tools to inform coastal management and to improve their capacity to understand, plan for, and respond to changing coasts now and into the future. We ensure that Coastal Zone Management Programs have the resources they need.
We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.”
-JOHN F. KENNEDY