Book excerpt: The coastal zone has always been an important frontier - for trade, food and the foundations of modern civilization. This same zone has also been exploited in one way or another, and sometimes without regard to the balance and schemes of Mother Nature. It is only when things go terribly wrong that we begin to react and attempt to undo the mistakes of the past. At times we have succeeded, but at a high price. At times, we have to retreat and concede defeat as the technology of man is no match to the force of nature. Over time, we learn to work with nature and leverage the science of nature to protect the coastal zone and hold our frontier between the sea and land.This proceeding presents the recent advances in all aspects of ocean and coastal research and management in the Asian and Pacific nations. The volume set provides a valuable source of information for scientists, engineers and professionals dealing with coastal zone issues and challenges in coastal, port and ocean engineering development, as well as the environmental impacts resulting from development of ocean and coastal areas.