More than half of the U.S. population lives in coastal counties
— areas that encompass oceans and coasts, bays, estuaries and
the Great Lakes — and the number will continue to grow according
to a recent NOAA's State of the Coast website. Coastal waters
are rich in living and non-living marine resources that sustain
prosperity and economic growth nationwide. Coastal areas are
hubs of commerce, home to many major American corporations,
ports and transportation networks. Maritime commerce along and
through our coastal ports of entry annually moves more than two
billion tons of domestic and international freight. The fishing
industry's 110,000 commercial and recreational vessels
contribute $111 billion annually to the economy. The coasts are
used by millions of Americans annually for recreation. They
support a surging tourist trade that is the nation's largest
employer with America's beaches being the leading tourist
destination. NOAA protects, preserves, manages, restores and
enhances the nation's coastal resour