Ocean beaches are one of the most popular destinations in America - for both locals and tourists. Tourist expenditures in coastal counties of only 16 coastal states total over $104 billion, with more than 180 million people visiting the beach for recreation every year. The narrow coastal fringe that makes up 17% of the land in the United States is home to over half our population. Some 153 million people live in coastal counties, an increase of 33 million since 1980, further indicating the powerful attraction that many of us feel to the beaches and ocean. The beach permeates our popular culture. But beaches are disappearing at an alarming rate, due to both natural processes and human interventions. In too many places, we have blocked historical sources of sand by damming rivers and building shoreline structures that interrupt sand transport. Add to that the increasing amount of development along our coasts and global warming which is causing sea level rise, and it's not hard to see why our beaches are in trouble.