Overview

Coastview is a science education non-profit dedicated to promoting exploration and understanding of the coastal environments of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and California. The platform combines rich storytelling with educational content, aiming to deepen users’ connection to these unique coastal landscapes.

Mission and Vision

Coastview aims to inspire curiosity and encourage exploration of coastal environments, linking them to broader narratives of resilience, culture, and natural beauty. Through its content, Coastview seeks to educate visitors about the significance of coastal ecosystems.

 Imagery

Most of our coastal imagery comes from the innovative ShoreZone program, which systematically mapped the intertidal shorelines of Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Using low-flying helicopters during the lowest tides of the year, ShoreZone captured continuous video coverage and intermittent digital still photographs of these dynamic coastal zones. These images serve as more than just beautiful snapshots—they form the foundation of geographic information systems used to map coastal features and intertidal habitats for research and conservation. Learn more about ShoreZone and how the mapping is done.

Images from Washington feature more recent photography acquired by the Washington Department of Ecology, offering updated views of the state’s diverse shorelines. Explore their coastal monitoring program and methodology.

Our California imagery comes from the California Coastal Records Project, providing comprehensive visual documentation of the Golden State’s iconic coastline. Discover more about this initiative.

Team

CoastView was developed in 2016 by Dr. G. Carl Schoch, Amalie Couvillion, and Mario Pilz, bringing together expertise in marine science, technology, and design to make coastal exploration accessible to everyone.

Stories

The articles featured on CoastView are written by Dr. G. Carl Schoch, a marine scientist whose work has shaped our understanding of coastal ecology and revolutionized shoreline mapping technologies along the Pacific coast. With approximately 808 publications citing his research (according to Google Scholar), Dr. Schoch’s contributions through ShoreZone have created invaluable resources for marine conservation, coastal management, climate change adaptation, and community education.

Dr. Schoch’s passion for exploration extends beyond his scientific pursuits. An avid adventurer and competitive rower, he completed a remarkable 1,500-mile solo rowing journey through the Inside Passage from Skagway, Alaska, to Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC, in 2024, documented here.