The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey

Nearly half of all Americans live within
an hour's drive of an ocean, the Gulf of
Mexico, or the Great Lakes. The U.S.
coastal oceans are an economically vital
transportation, commercial and recreational
resource. They provide food, energy, and
minerals for the entire Nation: on a global
scale, they harbor critical habitat for
important animal and plant species.