Australia, as many other countries, is a coastal focused nation with approximately 80% of the population living within 50 km of the coast. The coast also plays a key role in Australia's economy by providing a conduit for a range of direct economic activity as well as being a major draw for domestic and international tourism. The pressures placed on the coast resulting from the coastal population density and development result in coastal areas being at high risk for a number of hazards, including inundation, erosion, and water quality deterioration, all of which will be exacerbated by climate change and rising sea levels. In this unit students will gain an understanding of the processes that result in a range of coastal hazards, with an emphasis on coastal change and water quality. The unit is spread across three central themes; coastal change, coastal and estuarine water quality, and planning and regulatory framework to manage and adapt to coastal hazards. A key component of the unit will be examining case studies where a range of remediation and adaptation strategies have been applied to address coastal change and poor water quality. Through these case studies students will learn how to assess costal vulnerability including an understanding of the data required to make such an assessment and the various strategies to minimize it through intervention and/or adaptation.