The coastlines of the world with Google Earth: understanding our environment

Far away shores, exotic islands or adventurous sea voyages - coasts are the destination of dreams for millions of people around the globe. Large numbers of people also call coasts their home; in many countries a narrow coastal strip is densely populated making these places vulnerable to marine natural hazards such as storms or tsunamis. The book Coastlines of the World with Google Earth aims to draw people's attention (within and outside of the science community) towards coastal sciences and spark interest for the extraordinary diversity and beauty of coastal environments. The book illustrates the fascinating variety of coastal landscapes using images from Google Earth's virtual globe that allow us to explore the world and demonstrate knowledge and applications of coastal science in many different fields in an engaging visual tour.