Impact Stories

Conservation of Cape Foulweather Headland, an Icon of the Central Oregon Coast

The Takeaway: The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians regained ownership of 27 acres of their ancestral homelands at Cape Foulweather on the Oregon Coast thanks to a $2.01 million grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Three Wisconsin Projects Get Engineering and Design Headstart for Habitat Restoration Plans

The Takeaway: Partners across the Great Lakes worked to secure funding for engineering and design support for three projects in Wisconsin. This offers a major first step toward project completion.

Ola i ka Loʻi Wai (Life Through Indigenous Knowledge)

The Sea Level Calculator: A Comprehensive Data Resource for Coastal Communities

The Takeaway: By streamlining existing data sources into one platform, the new tool provides easier access to critical coastal information.

Conservation Expands Habitat and Public Access along Rhode Island’s Winnapaug Pond

The Takeaway: Partners in Rhode Island secured seven acres of coastal wetland to expand public access and enhance the salt marsh ecosystem.

Looking to the Past to Shape Future Estuaries

The Takeaway: Historical maps and elevation data reveal how 30 of the nation’s estuaries have changed over time–and where they could be in the future.

Delaware’s Coastal Management Fellow Develops Tool to Personalize Flood Adaptation

The Takeaway: A NOAA Coastal Management Fellow developed the I-ADAPT tool to help Delaware residents and businesses better prepare their properties for flooding through personalized recommendations.

Designing Providence Riverwalk to Improve Resilience and Habitat of Woonasquatucket River, Rhode Island

Restoration and Protection of Coastal Wetlands in Village of Kotlik, Alaska

Enhancing Riparian Ecosystems with Nature-Based Infrastructure to Improve Coastal Resilience in Texas

Community-Driven Site Assessment and Preliminary Design of Flood Buyout Lands in New York

Assessing Nature-Based Solutions to Improve Flood Hazard Management for the Tulalip Tribes

Building Capacity for Tidal Marsh and Sand Island Restoration on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

Eastern Shore Barrier Island Stabilization and Marsh Habitat Engineering Design and Permitting in Virginia

Hydraulic Reconnection to Restore Salmonid Habitat at Thomas’ Eddy, Washington

Building Resiliency and Restoring Critical Habitat in a Northern California Dune System

Increasing Resilience of Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island Through Living Shorelines

Building Community Capacity for Coastal Resilience Planning in Atlantic Coastal Plain

Developing Final Designs for Buffalo Creek Floodplain Reconnection in the Town of West Seneca

Conducting Data Inventory and Needs Assessment in Orleans Parish for Living Shoreline

Designing Habitat Restoration and Tribal Resilience Efforts within the Nisqually River Delta

Protecting Infrastructure and Restoring Fish Habitat in the Hudson River Estuary

Planning for Nature-Based Forest and Wetland Restoration along the Delaware River

Reconnecting Floodplains to Reduce Flood Risk in Coastal Communities

Designing Coastal Habitat Enhancements for Community and Habitat Resilience

Developing Final Designs for Siuslaw Estuary Tidal Wetlands Restoration

Restoration of an Urban Stream to Create a Holistic Stream, Wetland, and Shoreline Complex

Constructing Stormwater Wetland to Improve Flood Management and Water Quality in Norfolk

Restoring Tidal Wetlands to Improve Shorebird Habitat, Erosion Control and Flood Protection

Designing Floodplain and Tidal Marsh Habitat in Yolo Bypass through Berm Removal

Building Capacity for Edmonds Marsh and Estuary Restoration

Restoring Hempstead Bay for Community Resilience and Improved Habitat Quality

Restoring Swan Creek to Address Channel Erosion and Improve Salmon Habitat

Designing Renaturalization of Historic Streams in Moss Point, Mississippi

Building Coastal Resilience in Southside Norfolk Communities

Planning Coastal Resiliency for the Community and Environment along the Fox River

Implementing Living Shoreline at Wagon Hill Farm

Building Capacity for a Community-Driven Coastal Resilience Plan in St. James Parish

Preliminary Design for Marsh and Mangrove Restoration in Bayou Thunder and Bay Ronfleur

Engaging Citizens in Seekonk River Climate Resilience and Habitat Restoration Planning

Utilizing Living Shoreline Techniques to Reduce Erosion in Hoopersville Village District

Stronger, Together: Expanding Climate Adaptation Technical Assistance for Frontline Alaska Native Communities

Building a Climate Ready New Jersey

Regional Adaptation for Climate Resilience of Monterey Bay Coastal Communities

Enhancing the United Houma Nation’s Short-, Mid-, and Long-Term Coastal Resilience

ʻĀina Restoration through Community Governance to Advance Climate Resilience in the Hawaiian Islands

Resilient Maine: Local Adaptation and Resilience Actions at a Coastwide Scale

The Washington State Coastal Climate Resilience Initiative: Accelerating Implementation of 20 Years of Partnership Efforts

Climate Resilience and Risk Reduction in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Community Leadership Paves the Way to Promising Erosion Treatment

The Takeaway: A project that mimics aspects of cobble sand beaches virtually stopped the erosion of shoreline uplands in pilot studies aided by NOAA and Washington State’s coastal zone management program.

Leveraging Cooperative Extension to Build an Enduring Capacity Resilience in Rural Agricultural Communities across Coastal Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware

Bristol Bay Climate Adaptation Planning Program

Southwest Louisiana and Central Acadiana Resilient Future

Bristol Bay Guardians

Advancing Regional Climate Resilience for Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Region

Enabling Meaningful Progress for Resilience through the Greater New Orleans Regional Water Plan

Growing Regional Resilience Coordination on Aquidneck Island

Regional Collaboration for Better Resilience Outcomes in the Puget Sound Basin

Building Resilience to Extreme Weather in Northeast Ohio

Accelerating Natural Flood Management in the Lake Superior Basin

Strengthening Opportunities for Adaptive Response

Volunteers Help Monitor, Clean Up Ohio Beaches

The Takeaway: A partnership effort deployed local residents to address marine debris on Lake Erie.

Restoring the Wasson Creek Watershed from Ridgetop to Estuary

The Takeaway: A Bipartisan Infrastructure Award is supporting a watershed-scale restoration in the nation’s first National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Flooding Reduction and Habitat Creation through Tidal Wetland Restoration in Novato Creek

Building Capacity to Conserve Salt Marsh Habitat within Coastal Communities

Creating Final Design and Permitting for a Living Shoreline at Martha Randolph Stevens Park

Designing Perdido Creek Floodplain Restoration to Improve Resiliency and Wildlife Habitat

Designing Buttonwood Brook Dam Removal and Riparian Restoration

Developing Flood Resilience through Salt Marsh Restoration and Green Infrastructure

Advancing Coastal Resilience through Salt Marsh Restoration in the Maryland Coastal Bays

Constructing Living Shorelines and Marsh Terraces to Enhance Community Resilience

Designing a Resilient India Basin Shoreline Park

Coastal Resilience and Wildlife Habitat Restoration at Hammock River Marsh

Summer Internship Program Fosters Homegrown Environmental Stewards in the Northern Mariana Islands

The Takeaway: The internship provides opportunities for local students to grow into environmental careers on the islands.

Puritan Bog Coastal Wetland Restoration Project

Planning for Resilient Restoration of Scarborough Marsh

Integrated Resilience Strategy for the Padilla Bay Coastal Community

Manatee River Corridor Acquisition

Padilla Bay Coastal Prairie Restoration

Dune Restoration, Community Outreach, and Capacity-Building Project at Hanapēpē Salt Pond, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i

Southbridge East Habitat Restoration Planning Project

Conservation of Collins Creek Confluence and Ocean Shoreline

Lanier Boulevard Flood Resiliency through Acquisition Project

South Fenwick Island Parcel Additions to the ACE Basin Reserve

Combined Hydrology, Water Quality, and Botanical Characterization to Guide Coastal Wetland Restoration and Management

Shoreline Restoration to Enhance Coastal Resilience within the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Protection and Restoration of Ayres Point Oyster Reefs

Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Valley Creek Corridor

Popes Creek Waterfront Park Living Shoreline Design

Elk River Estuary Restoration: Final Design, Permitting, and Construction

Upper Bass River Coastal Habitat Restoration Project

Gile Flowage Land Conservation Project

Gibiskising Minis Azhe-dibinaweziwin

Conservation and Restoration of Biodiverse Chowan Watershed to Provide Climate Resilience, Tribal Collaboration, and Public Access

Mingo Creek Tract for Black River State Park

Using Restored Tidal Flow to Combat Migratory Fish Decline and Increase Climate Resilience

Owl Creek Habitat Restoration Project, Phase Two

Rancho Cañada Floodplain Restoration Project

Conserving Tidal Wetlands in the Coquille River

Restore Oyster Reef Habitat in the Mullica River-Great Bay Estuary through Expanded Atlantic City Shell Recycling Program

Habitat Restoration and Protection to Enhance Salt Marsh Resilience to Sea Level Rise in the Wells Research Reserve

Little River Neck and Waites Island—Merrill Boyce Tracts

Designing Innovative Nature-Based Solutions to Improve Habitat and Build Resiliency in Kake, Alaska

Engaging Southern Lake Erie Community on Development of a Coastal Resilience Plan

Chicago-Calumet River Shallows Restoration

Designing for Resilience in Baltimore's Smith Cove

Building Community Capacity for Restoration in the Arthur Kill-Upper Bay Watershed

Developing Preliminary Floodplain Restoration Designs in Elk and Indian Creeks

Developing a Coastal Resilience Plan for Southern Delaware

Final Design and Permitting Technical Assistance for Coastal Communities

Developing Final Designs to Mitigate Sea Level Rise and Wetland Loss for Louisiana’s Coastal Tribes

Floodplain Restoration and Waterbird Habitat Enhancement in Hanalei, Hawaii

Restoring Fish Passage and Coastal Resilience in Del Norte County, California

Rating Marsh Resilience

The Takeaway: This natural resource continues to decline. To help prioritize conservation efforts, a study by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System projects marsh survival rates.

Expanding the Network of Protected Lands along South Carolina’s Black River

The Takeaway: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will expand South Carolina’s Black River land conservation effort and protect 1,800 acres of floodplain for enhanced flood protection, water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities.

Issaquah Creek Instream Restoration at Lake Sammamish State Park, Washington

Capacity Building for Chumash Tribal Engagement in the West Coast Ocean Alliance

Makah Ocean Data and Management Capacity, Data Sovereignty, and Student Engagement

Supporting the Penobscot Nation's involvement in the Northeast Regional Ocean Council

Designing Ridge to Reef Resilience in Coral Bay to Mitigate Flood Risk to Critical Assets

Implementing a Living Shoreline along Magazine Point at Naval Air Station Pensacola

Restoration and Protection of Coastal Wetlands in Village of Kotlik

Improving our Coasts with High-Resolution Land Cover Data

The Takeaway: High-resolution land cover data is now available through NOAA’s Digital Coast. This data provides communities with the foundational data needed to assess coastal resources, analyze land use, prepare for disaster risks, and adapt to a changing climate.

Transforming New York’s Hudson Riverbanks

The Takeaway: A project led by the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve is transforming New York’s riverbanks cost-effectively with nature-based strategies.

Partnership Preserves Over 400 Acres of Public Game Lands in North Carolina

The Takeaway: A collaborative effort funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has secured and preserved a 400+ acre waterfront property in Pamlico County, ensuring wildlife habitat conservation and public access for outdoor activities in the Goose Creek Game Lands.

Record-Breaking Eelgrass Restoration in Virginia's Eastern Shore

The Takeaway: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded eelgrass restoration in Virginia’s Burtons Bay has revitalized critical habitat and fortified coastal resilience.

Restoring Padilla Bay’s Vital Tidal Marsh

The Takeaway: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allowed the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to acquire and safeguard 74.5 acres of vital tidal marshland in Washington, aiding in the larger endeavor to revive up to 105 acres of the area’s tidal marshes.

Northeast States Collaborate on Ocean Mapping Priorities, Garnering National Attention

The Takeaway: A collaborative effort of northeastern states ensures that crucial priority areas of the ocean floor receive thorough mapping attention.

Maine Restores Sand Dunes with Reclaimed Trees

The Takeaway: Innovative sand dune restoration along Maine’s coastline employs reclaimed trees to fortify eroded areas, showcasing successful collaborative efforts between local authorities and environmental agencies.

Maine's CoastWise Approach for Climate-Resilient Tidal Crossings

The Takeaway: After years of effort, Maine published the CoastWise Approach manual, a guide featuring best practices, decision-making tools, and a pathway for designing climate-resilient tidal crossings that are cost-effective and ecologically friendly.

Michigan Preserves White Lake’s Water Quality through Community Engagement

The Takeaway: Several Michigan communities came together to raise awareness about the dangers of septic systems polluting White Lake, creating campaigns that helped property owners take an active role in self-inspection and preventing pollution.

Quileute Indian Tribe Real-Time Hypoxia Monitoring Moorings

Enhancing the Makah Tribe’s Engagement in Regional Ocean Planning and Management

Enhancing Data Management Capacity among the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, its Four Member Tribes, and the West Coast Ocean Alliance

Quinault Indian Nation Participation and Engagement with the West Coast Ocean Alliance, a Regional Ocean Partnership

Ohio Preserves Chagrin River Habitat

The Takeaway: The Chagrin River Floodplain Land Conservation Project has preserved 105 acres of habitat, contributing to a growing conservation corridor under NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative.

Empowering Educators through Living Laboratories

The Takeaway: The Teachers on the Estuary program offers educators a way to access hands-on learning experiences at the Tijuana River Research Reserve. This effort enhances science education and promotes estuary stewardship for the next generation.

Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe's Return to the River

The Takeaway: The Upper Mattaponi Tribe’s historic reclamation of its ancestral lands along the Mattaponi River in Virginia not only preserves the tribe’s heritage but also ignites a visionary environmental stewardship, fostering harmony between tradition, culture, and ecological restoration.

Tybee Island’s Dune Restoration Project Sets New Standard for Coastal Resilience

The Takeaway: Tybee Island restores eroding dunes using native plantings and innovative monitoring methods, leading to nationwide recognition and providing resources for other coastal resilience efforts.

Reviving Georgia’s Coastal Salt Marshes

The Takeaway: With the alignment of local and federal funding, the healing of Georgia’s salt marshes is underway as the Army Corps of Engineers corrects decades of environmental damage caused by the logging industry, with initial restoration efforts showing improvements to water flow and natural features.

New Wetland Park in Delaware Solves Decades of Flooding Issues

The Takeaway: A formerly contaminated area in Delaware has been turned into a park that restores and enhances existing wetlands, provides a recreation area for the community, and hosts a stormwater management facility that reduces flooding.

Now You See Them: Wetland Wildlife on the Move

The Takeaway: Scientists across the National Estuarine Research Reserve System have conducted the first-ever North American inventory of coastal wetland wildlife using 140 cameras in 29 estuaries.

Virginia Balances Economic Growth and Ecological Preservation through Ecotourism

The Takeaway: All told, Virginia has invested over $2.8 million in about 100 ecotourism planning and infrastructure projects over the years, with an impressive economic return of almost 12 times that investment.

Immersive Nature Tours at California’s Tijuana River Reserve

The Takeaway: Expertly guiding participants along the Tijuana River Reserve’s trails, Ron Peterson, a docent who is blind, showcases nature’s wonders beyond the realm of sight. Through his distinct perspective, he illustrates how engaging other senses deepens the connection with native plants.

Mangrove, Seagrass, and Coral Restoration in the Vieques Bioluminescent Bay Natural Reserve

Improving Coastal Wetland Resilience within the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

American Samoa Wetlands Delineation

Ossabaw Island Living Shoreline: A Collaboration to Model Resiliency through Ecosystem Restoration

Establishing Regional Restoration Visions and Identifying Projects within the Lake Superior Headwaters Sustainability Partnership Region

Protection and Restoration of a Bird Nesting Island in Aransas Bay

Enhancing Climate Resilience through Coastal Ecosystem Restoration in Elkhorn Slough

Coastal Conservation at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge Cameron Parish, Louisiana

Creating a Multi-Beneficial Stormwater Park Using Nature-Based Solutions

Restoring and Strengthening Resilience of Maui Nui Reefs

Coastal Habitat Resilience and Community Adaptation in Downeast Maine

Henderson Creek Hydrologic Restoration Project

Beach Restoration to Create Habitat and Protect Tidal Salt Marsh Buffers within the Bay Point Area of Lawrence Township

Conservation in the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Baldwin County, Alabama

A Path Forward; Codesigning Habitat Protection and Restoration and Community Resilience

Truro Pamet River Restoration

Conservation of Coastal Pine Savanna and Emergent Marsh Habitat on West Fowl River, Mississippi Sound in Mobile County, Alabama

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary Stream and Shoreline Restoration

Manchester Central Street Bridge Replacement and Sawmill Brook Restoration Project

Graveyard Spit Restoration and Resilience Project

Conservation of Peatlands near Kachemak Bay

Improving the Resilience of Salt Marsh Ecosystems within the ACE Basin through the Creation of Intertidal Oyster Reef Habitat

Critical Conservation for Climate Resilience in the Northeast Florida Blueway

Acquisition of 2,001 Acres Protects Wisconsin’s Sand River Headwaters

The Takeaway: This significant acquisition is providing critical ecological benefits and promoting community resilience efforts.

Revolutionary Land Cover Data for Alaska

The Takeaway: This is the first time Alaska’s coastal zone has been mapped in this way. The NOAA-provided land cover data promises to be a game changer for those who want to protect this coast.

New Hampshire Towns Benefit from Tidal Crossing Flood Reduction Project

The Takeaway: A $2.9 million project will replace three small tidal culverts with larger, upgraded structures to reduce flood risk and provide other benefits.

Indiana Coast Comes Alive in Poster Series, with NOAA’s Help

The Takeaway: Full-color ecosystem portraits draw thousands of teachers, students, and outdoor explorers to a coastal stewardship message.

Program Draws People of Faith to Stories of Illinois Coast

The Takeaway: Thousands took part in the “Migration & Me,” program spotlighting the journeys of butterflies, bees, and people, with support from the Illinois Coastal Management Program.

Trail Heralds New Possibilities for Pennsylvania City

The Takeaway: An outdoor haven for walkers, runners, and cyclists adorns the City of Chester.

Lake St. Clair in Michigan Sports Accessible Floating Dock, Launch, and Walkway

The Takeaway: This project brings the Michigan Coastal Program’s total water trail investments to $1.5 million, affecting 4,000-plus miles of scenic wonders.

Texas Scientists Investigate Record-High Numbers of Stranded Loggerhead Turtles

The Takeaway: The Mission-Aransas Research Reserve joins forces with other scientists aiding loggerhead rescue, rehabilitation, and research into stranding causes.

Gulf Coast Towns Lower Flood Insurance Rates, with NOAA’s Help

The Takeaway: Dozens of communities in three states get the information they need to boost hazard resilience and drive down flood insurance costs.

Restoration Efforts for Great Lakes Shoreline

The Takeaway: This shoreline report, co-authored by a Digital Coast scientist, makes plain the critical importance of NOAA’s nature-based restoration projects in the Great Lakes region.

NOAA Gulf Coast Resilience Grants Go Far

The Takeaway: Five communities gained the assessments they need to guide resilience action, thanks to NOAA funds and community partners.

Coastal Zone Management Makes a Difference

The Takeaway: The Coastal Zone Management Act has guided this nation’s approach to how we protect coastal economies and natural resources. These programs have served us for fifty years and continue to do so.

Massachusetts Map Tours Boost Accessibility, Safety, Program Transparency

The Takeaway: These colorful virtual tours, filled with facts, welcome everyone who has felt left out of coastal adventures and cast a bright light on a state coastal zone management program’s importance.

Virginia Collaborative Promotes Economic Perks of Lower Chickahominy Conservation

The Takeaway: The Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and partners—buoyed by evidence that conservation funnels millions of extra dollars into the local economy—have signed a memorandum of understanding that promotes ecotourism’s economic benefits and helps preserve Indigenous and ecological assets.

Wade into Estuary Recreation at a Research Reserve

The Takeaway: Paddling azure waterways. Casting a line for that delectable campsite dinner. Spying an elusive warbler in a birder’s paradise. These adventures and many more await.

NOAA’s Historical Hurricane Tracks Tool

The Takeaway: This popular tool pulls in a wide net of users, from vacation planners and storm-history buffs to technical experts modeling storm risks.

North Carolina Oyster Farms Provide Several Ecosystem Benefits

The Takeaway: A research team’s discoveries are helping agencies and committees guide oyster aquaculture expansion in the state.

NOAA Helps Maine Communities Assess, and Expand, Working Waterfront Economy

The Takeaway: NOAA’s economic-analysis resources and workshops uncover the power of working waterfronts.

North Carolina Partners Analyze and Address Stormwater Pollution Threats

The Takeaway: Participants in this research reserve partnership project sized up the nature of the threat and produced resources designed to lessen risks for outdoor-recreation fans and the Rachel Carson portion of the North Carolina Research Reserve.

Introducing First-Generation College Students to Science-based Careers

The Takeaway: The “Step into STEM” mentoring and workshop series, initiated and co-led by a Margaret A. Davidson Fellow, guided these students on crucial first steps toward science, technology, engineering, and math careers.

NOAA Strengthens Resilience Before, During, and After Disasters

The Takeaway: NOAA initiatives and state partnership programs are making a difference throughout the nation’s coastal zone.

Oregon Adds Emergency-Supplies Guide to Disaster Resilience Efforts

The Takeaway: Already, 10 jurisdictions have incorporated tsunami considerations for safer land-use plans. Now, all of Oregon’s coastal communities have “disaster cache” guidance to increase local survival odds in the wake of tsunamis and earthquakes.

Delaware’s Climate Action Plan Takes Off

The Takeaway: The Delaware Coastal Management Program helped develop the plan, and public-private leaders have embraced it, proposing initiatives that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fast-track adaptation steps.

NOAA Cheers Citizen Scientists

The Takeaway: These coastal volunteers walk the talk of science and stewardship by gathering data to help ecosystems remain vibrant and communities grow more resilient.

Blue Plan Maximizes Coastal Coordination, Minimizes Conflict

The Takeaway: This inventory of the natural resources and uses of the Long Island Sound represents a guide for the future.

Largest-Ever West Coast Oyster Data Map

The Takeaway: The findings could spark restoration efforts that are much more strategic and effective, thanks to project leaders and partners that include California’s Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve.

Blue Carbon Enterprises Lessen Climate Change Damage

The Takeaway: Coastal wetlands research, restoration, tools, data, workshops, and partners—NOAA brings every blue carbon asset to the fight against climate-change-related hazards and harm.

NOAA Research Reserve Receives Enthusiastic Welcome in Connecticut

The Takeaway: NOAA’s Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve, the nation’s 30th, signals an exhilarating new era for the state’s coastal education, research, and ecotourism sectors.

NOAA’s “Green” Expertise Meets New Infrastructure Era

The Takeaway: Some U.S. infrastructure funding that is headed NOAA’s way will maximize the benefits of nature to lessen climate change damage.

Befriending Coastal Birds

The Takeaway: At a critical time for many species, NOAA collaborates with partners to protect coastal bird habitats and populations.