ABSTRACT
In the Russian Federation, 25,000 km of the 61,000 km total length of the marine coast suffers from severe erosion. Coastal research has been carried out for several centuries, but intensive post-war development resulted in the creation of the Russian Coastal Research National Centre, which coordinated domestic coastal studies. Basic and theoretical research is supported by many different funding schemes and programmes, with more than 100 organizations, engaged to some extent in coastal studies. A significant part of the population lives in the coastal strip, which houses important communications, as well as large industrial and civil construction complexes. Large ports are located and the region is the main recreational area for Russia. Coastal development began only in the twentieth century, where the presence of unused territory attracted the attention of investors. Coastal ridges become flatter, the climate softer and more humid, creating conditions ripe for agricultural development.
