Coastal zones are critically important interfaces, hosting nearly 40% of the global population and functioning as major hubs for transportation, industry, energy production, and resource extraction. Concurrently, these regions are indispensable ecological assets, supporting over 90% of global marine biodiversity. The intricate productivity of these systems is inherently dependent upon key physical drivers, including wind-wave dynamics, fluvial discharge, and littoral geomorphology. However, coasts face mounting challenges, including climate change (sea-level rise, warming, acidification, and shifting currents), coastal erosion, extreme weather, pollution, biodiversity loss, and socioeconomic pressures. Monitoring coastal dynamics is essential for sustainable management, disaster risk reduction, and protecting both ecosystems and human communities. 

The CoastDyn project addresses key scientific and observational challenges in understanding the dynamics of the coastal ocean. Its main objectives are:

• Development: Create high-resolution, multi-mission data sets detailing coastal dynamics (e.g., sea level, waves) by combining European Earth observation satellite data (such as Sentinel), in-situ measurements, and advanced algorithms (including AI).
• Validation: Ensure data accuracy and provide uncertainty estimates through rigorous validation for applications.
• Application: Apply these new, validated data sets using a multidisciplinary approach and supporting tools to address significant scientific questions and resolve major knowledge gaps in coastal science.

DGFI-TUM contributes to the development of an approach to merge Fully-Focused SAR (FFSAR) altimetry from Sentinel-6 with wide-swath observations from the SWOT satellite to improve the coastal estimation of ocean tides. Additionally, DGFI-TUM will conduct a scientific case study on the North Sea - Wadden Sea transition zone to explore the characteristics and spatial variability of ocean tides and significant wave height in the region. 

More information about the project as well as collaboration partners can be found at the project website: https://www.coastdyn.org/