CoastView promotes exploration of the Alaska, Pacific Northwest, and California coasts through pictures and stories. Most of the images were collected by a program called ShoreZone that mapped the intertidal shorelines of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. The images consist of continuous video coverage and intermittent digital still photos that are acquired using a low-flying helicopter during the lowest tides of the year. The images are used to map coastal features and intertidal habitats for a geographic information system. Read more about the ShoreZone program here and here, and more about how it’s done here. Images for Washington are generally more recent than those from the ShoreZone program and were acquired by the Washington Department of Ecology. Read more about that program here and here. The images for California were acquired by the California Coastal Records Project. Read more about that program here.

Many people while traveling or from home want to see pictures of the coast and read stories about places, people, and events. CoastView was designed to allow an interactive experience for viewing and exploring the coast, and planning trips. Along with stunning pictures, CoastView features information about local ecology, history, and culture — bringing to life the striking beauty of the coasts of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California for visitors that fly over, cruise past, drive along, or explore from the comfort of home.