More than 50 percent of the world's population resides on or near the coast. Coastal communities face a complex suite of interrelated issues which could be affected by climate change and variability, including sea level rise, shoreline erosion, population growth and development, hazard mitigation and the health and well-being of estuarine, coastal wetland and coral reef systems. In fact, changing climate is among the most significant long-term influences on the structure and functioning of marine and coastal ecosystems and, therefore, must be taken into account to ensure healthy and productive ocean environments. NOAA is advancing its understanding of the effects of climate on marine ecosystems and coastal communities to meet its responsibilities under numerous mandates regarding the management of living marine and coastal resources. These activities include monitoring changes in surface temperatures and sea level rise, as well as changes in dissolved oxygen concentration resulting from increases in ocean temperatures. In addition to focused efforts on climate and ecosystems, NOAA supports interdisciplinary impacts and adaptation research that is directly tied to the information needs of our stakeholders as they consider the optimal approaches to managing coastal resources under dynamic climate conditions.

Other Research Programs for Marine and Coastal Impacts:

NOAA Climate and Ecosystems Program

Sea Level Rise Research Program: The Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise

Coral Reefs and Climate
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program supports effective management and sound science to preserve, sustain, and restore valuable coral reef ecosystems.

It now appears that corals are threatened by global climate change.

Impacts of Carbon Dioxide on the World's Oceans
Impacts of anthropogenic CO2 on the chemistry of the oceans and the potential response of certain marine species to the changes in CO2 levels.