Training and Capacity Building

From 2010 to 2023, the number of people living in U.S. coastal counties rose by 9%. In 2023 alone, 30% of the nation's total population lived in 452 coastal counties along our oceans and Great Lakes. And in 2024, the Marine Economy of the U.S. coastal states generated over $465 billion in GDP. U.S. coastal counties are home to popular tourist destinations and valuable fisheries that drive the economy.

So how are our coasts holding up? How do increasing populations and heavy economic use along our coasts relate to water quality, pollution, invasive species, and coral reef health? What effects might environmental changes pose to these vulnerable areas and how can we increase communities’ resilience to coastal hazards? The National Ocean Service is dedicated to answering these questions and finding solutions that work by partnering with state and local coastal resource managers — the professionals who work on the frontline around the country to protect our fragile coasts.

A key way that NOS supports coastal managers is through online and in-person training in several functional areas.

Foundational skills

Many people in the field of coastal resource management are trained scientists whose skills were developed on the job. The Office for Coastal Management (OCM) offers training in a wide range of areas, including project design, needs assessments, and facilitation.

Coastal management

Coastal managers depend on a suite essential knowledge and skills. OCM offers courses and other learning resources (e.g., online modules) on topics such as adaptation planning, risk communication, nature-based solutions, social science basics, inundation mapping, and economic guidance for coastal management professionals to help build baseline skills.

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System also offers a Coastal Training Program for individuals who make decisions that affect coastal resources. Courses offered by the reserves focus on issues such as stormwater management, community development, restoration science, and land use planning.

Emergency response

The NOS Office of Response and Restoration provides training, educational resources, and references for spill responders in local, state, and federal governments and industry, contingency planners, and coastal managers. Through these classes, workshops, and online resources, NOS shares its knowledge and capabilities on the scientific aspects of effective spill response that it has learned while working with other federal and state agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private sector partners. In addition to these opportunities, emergency responders and planners can build their scientific knowledge of oil spill and chemical accident response at their own pace with OR&R's Self-Study Resources.