Vision: The Coastal Institute exists to advance knowledge and develop solutions to environmental problems in coastal ecosystems.

Mission: the Coastal Institute will increase our understanding of the relationships between human activity and the condition of the coastal environment and its resources. Working in partnership with local, state, federal, and international agencies, the Coastal Institute will use this understanding to contribute to the solution of the complex problems of human use and development in coastal environments. Working across and beyond traditional structures to encourage new approaches to problem solving. The Coastal Institute is a neutral setting where knowledge is advanced, issues discussed, information synthesized, and solutions developed for the sustainable use and management of coastal ecosystems.