Coastal areas are the most developed in the nation. Further, this coastal population is increasing by 3,600 people per day, giving a projected total increase of 27 million people between now and 2015. This population density increased to 273 persons per square mile by 1994, and is expected to reach 327 by 2015.
Population densities are highest along the East Coast, especially in the Northeast.
Coastal counties are undergoing more development than noncoastal areas, as they include 16 of the 20 counties with the largest number of new housing units under construction. Since 1990, the United States has consistently ranked fifth in world fisheries catch by weight. At the national level, no fewer than 14 Federal programs within five cabinet-level departments are working to restore coastal habitats, while at least 11 Federal laws authorize and fund restoration activities. These and many other facts about the nation's coasts can be found in NOAA's State of the Coast Report, a World Wide Web site offering concise essays on a variety of topics related to the health of our nation's coastal areas.