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About

COAST About


The California State University (CSU) Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST) was established in 2008 to integrate systemwide expertise and resources and promote research that advances our knowledge of ocean and coastal systems. Today, COAST is an active and robust community of hundreds of CSU faculty members, researchers, and students from diverse disciplines actively working to answer questions about our oceans and coasts and address our most pressing challenges. 

At its core, COAST provides several critical functions that serve the CSU, the state of California, and national and international communities:

  • Supports ocean and coastal research.​
  • Provides a community for researchers with ocean and coastal interests from across the CSU. 
  • Develops current and future ocean and coastal scientists, scholars, and leaders. 
  • Communicates the best available science to stakeholders to promote evidence-based decision-making and policy development. ​ 

​​​COAST faculty members and students work in ocean and coastal settings throughout California, along the west coast of the U.S., and internationally. Their research includes

  • The open and coastal ocean.
  • Coastal zones such as bays, estuaries and beaches.
  • Coastal watersheds where the organism, material or process being studied in the watershed has a clear and direct impact on the downstream marine environment.​

COAST Goals & Priorities


COAST's programmatic goals are to

  • Advance our knowledge of coastal and marine resources and the processes that affect them.
  • Develop innovative solutions to the economic, sociological, ecological and technological challenges that our coastal zone faces.
  • Promote environmental literacy to foster stewardship and sustainable use of our coast.

COAST has identified four strategic priorities that guide its overall activities in order to achieve its goals.

  • Provide funding and opportunities to CSU faculty members and students to advance coastal, marine and coastal watershed research and education.
  • Train CSU students to successfully join a highly skilled, technologically sophisticated workforce and ensure the success of students from all backgrounds.
  • Serve as a primary resource for informed decision-making in government, industry and local communities.
  • Communicate the activities, successes and impact of COAST members to stakeholders and the public.

 Please see our 2016-2021 Strategic Plan​ for additional detail.