CoastSnap - changing coastlines

CoastSnap is a global citizen science project to capture our changing coastlines. No matter where you are in the world, if you have a smartphone and an interest in the coast, we welcome you to participate! CoastSnap relies on repeat photos at the same location to track how the coast is changing over time due to processes such as storms, rising sea levels, human activities and other factors.

Snap a photo of a coast near you in the app!

Using a specialised technique known as photogrammetry, CoastSnap turns your photos into valuable coastal data that is used by coastal scientists to understand and forecast how coastlines might change in the coming decades. Photogrammetry enables the position of the coastline to be pinpointed from your snaps to an accuracy similar to that of professional coastal survey teams. All we ask is that you take the photos at the same location (by using one of our official CoastSnap camera cradles or a do-it-yourself adaptation) and record the precise photo time in the App. The more photos we have of a particular site, the better our understanding becomes of how that coastline is changing over time.