NOAA funds Washington Sea Grant to help communities protect their coasts

Whidbey’s Island County, seen here in a 2006 photo, is an initial partner on the project.

Washington SeaGrant was recently awarded nearly $900,000 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help coastal communities protect against hazards, including tsunamis, winter storms and sea-level rise.

The three-year project will help prepare Washington’s roughly 3,100 miles of coastline and more than 45 coastal cities for current and future hazards. The award is one of six NOAA Regional Coastal Resilience Grants awarded this year.

Ian Miller, a coastal hazards specialist with Washington Sea Grant, will lead a team of state and local managers and scientists who will start this spring to fill in information gaps, conduct pilot projects, and other efforts.