Coastal communities around the world face unique challenges. The Texas Gulf Coast shoreline is the subject of study for researchers around the world. Due to our gently sloping shoreline, we are forecasted to see dramatic rates of subsidence, erosion, and sea level rise. We will talk about the US Army Corps of Engineers plans to erect the Texas Coastal Spine Project, designed to mitigate effects of increasing frequency and severity in tropical storms and hurricanes. Also, our proximity to the oil and gas industries leaves us vulnerable to effects of pollution (as seen in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout and subsequent sinking). We will see a similar rig, an ultra-deep water, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig near the beginning of our tour. We will need creative minds to mitigate the challenges we are sure to increasingly face in the coming decades.