Coastal Geology Program

The Coastal Geology group provides coastal resource management throughout the National Park Service. The group supplies technical and policy assistance to parks, develops guidance related to coastal issues, and works on climate change assessments. The Coastal Geology group works in close coordination with other National Park Service programs, including Ocean and Coastal Resources, Inventory and Monitoring, GeoScientists-in-the-Parks, and the Climate Change Response Program.

Program Objectives

• Identify and evaluate the dominant shoreline processes within National Park units.
• Inventory and monitor natural, cultural, and human-made shoreline resources (structures).
• Promote and coordinate cooperative multiagency research.
• Protect natural and cultural resources so that their scientific, cultural, and historic values are maintained.
• Develop resource education and interpretation programs for the public.
• Facilitate communication among researchers, resource managers, and interpreters.

Receiving Assistance

National coastal park managers may obtain direct support from the Coastal Geology group by submitting a written application or phone-in request. If assistance cannot be provided, the Coastal Geology group will find outside assistance and funding possibilities. The Coastal Geology group has provided assistance to numerous parks concerning a variety of coastal management issues. Recent projects include:

• Restoring the Mississippi barrier islands in Gulf Islands National Seashore from damages caused by dredging of navigation channels (project website).
• Developing a shoreline management plan at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
• Developing stabilization procedures to control shoreline erosion near culturally significant sites at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.
• Assessing shoaling around docks at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
• Assessing inundation risk from hurricanes in the Northeast Region (project website).

Contacts