The Coastal Institute was founded to provide Rhode Island with a neutral setting where knowledge is advanced, issues discussed, information synthesized, and solutions developed for the sustainable use and management of coastal ecosystems. The Coastal Institute is dedicated to increasing 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 strives to use this understanding to contribute to the solution of the complex problems of human use and development in coastal environments.