NOAA has unique responsibilities for managing the nation's coastal and marine resources, including collaborative efforts with states and territories to improve our understanding of and planning for the impacts of climate change. No other federal agency has this kind of role with regard to land use in the nation's coastal areas. NOAA also focuses on integrating the agency's hazard prediction and response activities to help the nation's increasingly vulnerable coastal communities prepare for, respond to, and rebound from hazards.

Other Research Programs for Coastal Management and Planning:

Climate Decision Support
As leaders in the field of climate research, NOAA's research laboratories, joint institutes and programs are working to meet local and regional needs for climate information. These activities provide information that describes and explains climate and its impacts on natural systems and human activities. To meet regional needs, NOAA's Climate Goal has established a Regional Decision Support (RDS) effort to accelerate the Program's interaction with users of climate information and forecasts at multiple spatial and geographical scales.

Natural Hazards Assessment
Some of the biggest challenges facing coastal communities involve coastal hazards. It is the job of local and state governments to reduce the negative environmental, social, and economic impact that these natural hazards can have on their communities.

Climate Prediction Center U.S Hazards Assessment
This Hazards Assessment is intended to provide emergency managers, planners, forecasters and the public advance notice of potential hazards related to climate, weather and hydrological events.