Future Earth Coasts (FEC) is a global research network dedicated to advancing sustainable development in the world’s coastal zones. It includes partnerships with United Nations agencies, intergovernmental bodies, and organizations such as the International Council for Science and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Established as the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) in 1993 and transitioning into FEC under the Future Earth program in 2015, the network brings together over 1,000 coastal sustainability experts worldwide. FEC is co-led by the International Project Offices in China (East China Normal University) and Australia (Southern Cross University), with additional offices in Ghana, Argentina, and the US.
FEC focuses on three core themes: Dynamic Coasts, Human Development and Coasts, and Pathways to Coastal Sustainability. It identifies critical coastal Hotspots such as small islands, urbanized coasts, Arctic systems, and river mouths that are particularly vulnerable to change. The network facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration through bottom-up initiatives like the Just Transitions, Cyber-Coasts, Lagoons for Life, Circles of Coastal Sustainability and Mega-delta Working Groups. FEC is co-leading FE cross-cutting initiatives Meta-network Project and Empowering Future Leadership Project.
Key FEC contributions include co-designed knowledge production, capacity-building programs, and synthesis of coastal sustainability strategies aligned with societal and policy needs. Through its flagship initiative, Our Coastal Futures, FEC empowers coastal communities by integrating scientific, local, and Indigenous knowledge to foster resilience, equity, and sustainability. FEC’s vision is to institutionalize global coastal assessments, driving innovative solutions for a sustainable, just, and resilient future.
