Flyover of the U.S. Coastline (AD)

Our Nation’s coastlines are almost 100,000 miles long. These extensive coastal areas stretch from Maine’s Atlantic shores in the northeast, south along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and insular areas in the Caribbean. Toward the west, Pacific coastal areas include the shores of California, Oregon and Washington as well as Alaska, Hawai’i and insular areas in the Pacific Islands. The Nation’s coasts also include areas surrounding the Great Lakes, one of the largest freshwater ecosystems in the world. Altogether, our coasts are home to more than 40 percent of the population and support critical habitat for wildlife. USGS coastal scientists work to better understand these dynamic ecosystems to help safeguard coastal communities and conserve valuable resources.

Explore USGS Coastal Science.