In states bordering the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, vast areas of coastal land have been destroyed since the mid-1800s as a result of natural processes and human activities, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Coastal and Marine Geology Program. The National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project was undertaken to identify the physical factors that influence coastal land loss, including reductions in sediment supply, relative sea level rise, and frequent storms. Human activities, such as sediment excavation, river modification, and coastal construction, also affect the shorelines.

As coastal populations continue to grow, and community infrastructures are threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information regarding past and present shoreline changes, according to the USGS. There also is need for a comprehensive analysis of shoreline movement that is regionally consistent. To meet these needs, the Coastal and Marine Geology Program is conducting an analysis of historical shoreline changes along open-ocean sandy shores of the conterminous United States and parts of Alaska and Hawaii. A primary goal of the National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project is to develop standardized methods for mapping and analyzing shoreline movement.