Coastal Environments
Coastal Environments is a multidisciplinary oceanographic, coastal engineering, and environmental consulting firm serving government agencies, utilities, and NGOs with project-based services spanning coastal engineering, wetland restoration, environmental impact assessment, and numerical modeling since 1988.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersLa Jolla, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Coastal Environments does
Coastal Environments is a multidisciplinary oceanographic, coastal engineering, and environmental consulting firm founded in 1988 by Dr. Hany Elwany and headquartered in La Jolla, California. The firm integrates scientific, regulatory, and operational field expertise across eight core service lines: Coastal Engineering, Physical Oceanography, Wetland Restoration, Environmental Impact Assessment, Marine Geology, Biological Monitoring, Data Analysis & Numerical Modeling, and Literature Reviews and Critiques. Notable technical capabilities include predictive numerical and statistical models of circulation studies, shoreline changes, and wave-structure interaction; time series and spectral analysis of wave, current, and temperature measurements; and dynamic response analysis of mechanical systems for offshore structure design.
The firm is staffed by 30+ professionals including physical oceanographers, coastal engineers, marine geologists, marine biologists, environmental assessors, hazardous material and waste management professionals, engineering geologists, and numerical modeling analysts, many holding Ph.D.s from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and other premier research institutions. Coastal Environments serves government agencies (local, state, federal), private industry (utilities, oil & gas), municipalities, and NGOs, with documented project work in Southern California and globally across Mexico, Central and South America, northern Africa, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. Landmark engagements include construction management of the 174.4-acre Wheeler North Reef (the largest single-layer artificial kelp reef ever constructed), the 69-acre Palos Verdes Reef Restoration partnership with NOAA, and continuous monitoring at the San Dieguito Lagoon for Southern California Edison since 1992.
The firm operates a professional services business model on project-based consulting fees structured as multi-year contracts, with no public pricing tiers and engagements scoped per project complexity and duration. Business development relies on direct professional referrals, regulatory agency relationships developed over 25+ years, technical conference presentations, and a professional website portfolio rather than traditional sales or marketing channels. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment, no parent company, and no public listing.
Coastal Environments firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coastal Environments
- Legal name
- Coastal Environments
- Website
- https://coastalenvironments.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Coastal Environments is a multidisciplinary oceanographic, coastal engineering, and environmental consulting firm serving government agencies, utilities, and NGOs with project-based services spanning coastal engineering, wetland restoration, environmental impact assessment, and numerical modeling since 1988.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coastal Environments industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Coastal Engineering & Environmental Consulting
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Port Rehabilitation, Maintenance & Asset Renewal (Repairs, Strengthening) (IMAFAJAL)
Keywords
Where Coastal Environments is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Jolla
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coastal Environments business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for oceanographic, coastal engineering, and environmental consulting services provided to government agencies, private industry, and NGOs. Projects include feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, construction management, and technical monitoring.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based consulting services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Coastal Environments product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coastal Environments is a multidisciplinary oceanographic, coastal engineering, and environmental consulting firm that provides scientific, regulatory, and operational field expertise. The firm delivers eight core services including coastal engineering, physical oceanography, wetland restoration, environmental impact assessment, marine geology, biological monitoring, data analysis & numerical modeling, and literature reviews. It serves government agencies, private industry, and NGOs on projects such as artificial reef construction, lagoon restoration, coastal hazard assessment, and environmental impact studies worldwide.
Product overview
Coastal Environments is a multidisciplinary oceanographic, coastal engineering, and environmental consulting firm that provides eight core service offerings: Coastal Engineering, Physical Oceanography, Wetland Restoration, Environmental Impact Assessment, Marine Geology, Biological Monitoring, Data Analysis & Numerical Modeling, and Literature Reviews and Critiques. The company integrates scientific, regulatory, and operational field expertise to solve complex environmental challenges. Their portfolio includes major artificial reef construction projects (Wheeler North Reef, Palos Verdes Reef Restoration), lagoon restoration projects (San Elijo Lagoon, San Dieguito Lagoon, Agua Hedionda Lagoon), coastal hazard assessments (tsunami risks, beach erosion), and environmental impact studies for infrastructure projects. The firm serves private industry, local/state/federal governments, and NGOs with projects conducted worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coastal Engineering Provides coastal engineering services including harbor site selection and design, coastal processes analysis, lagoon inlet design studies, and physical and numerical modeling of wave loading and structure dynamics. For government agencies, utilities, and private developers requiring coastal infrastructure expertise.
- Physical Oceanography Offers environmental measurements of physical parameters, directional wave and current studies, tidal and storm surge flooding analysis, sediment transport computations, and oceanographic instrumentation array design. For agencies and industries requiring nearshore physical data.
- Wetland Restoration Provides technical monitoring of wetland restoration, environmental management planning, site assessment, and comprehensive lagoon circulation and inlet design studies using numerical modeling techniques. For agencies and NGOs restoring coastal wetland habitats.
- Environmental Impact Assessment Prepares Ecological Assessments (EA), Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for oceanographic, marine biology, fisheries, and endangered species projects. For clients requiring regulatory environmental documentation.
- Marine Geology Offers geotechnical services including beach and seafloor foundation investigations, sediment analysis for dredging projects, coastal erosion studies, sediment dynamics investigations, and seafloor mineral resource evaluation. For infrastructure and dredging project proponents.
- Biological Monitoring Conducts environmental monitoring studies for regulatory compliance, field experimentation for ecological effects assessment, marine and freshwater community analysis, endangered species assessments, and biological inventories. For utilities, regulators, and conservation groups.
- Data Analysis & Numerical Modeling Provides programming, stochastic and time series analysis, statistical analysis, database design, directional wave analysis, and development of predictive numerical models for circulation studies and shoreline changes. For engineering and scientific teams requiring quantitative coastal analysis.
- Literature Reviews and Critiques Prepares in-depth reviews of scientific literature, critiques of existing information on marine and coastal issues, and expert testimony for regulatory agencies, utilities, and litigation support. For legal teams, regulators, and agencies needing independent scientific analysis.
Quantifiable outcome
- Constructed 174.4 acre Wheeler North Reef - the largest single-layer artificial kelp reef ever constructed
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Coastal Environments
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Coastal Environments technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Coastal Environments partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Oceanographic Instrumentation FirmsminorCoastal Environments acts as a trade representative (agent) for several oceanographic instrumentation firms, providing access to specialized field study equipment and technical advisory services.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Coastal Environments competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Environmental Resources Management (ERM): Global environmental, health, and safety consulting firm serving industrial and public-sector clients. Comparable in environmental impact assessment, permitting, and habitat/sustainability advisory work.
- AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with major coastal, marine, and environmental practices. Competes for many of the same government and utility RFPs as Coastal Environments but offers vastly broader service portfolio.
- Kleinfelder: Engineering, environmental, and scientific consulting firm with water, coastal, and infrastructure practices. Comparable in environmental site assessment, marine geology, and coastal infrastructure work.
- Tetra Tech: Large global engineering and environmental consulting firm serving water, environment, and infrastructure markets. Overlaps with Coastal Environments across coastal, marine, and environmental impact assessment services but at much larger scale.
- GHD: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with coastal, water, and environmental services. Overlaps with Coastal Environments across coastal engineering and environmental assessment engagements.
- Michael Baker International: Engineering, planning, and consulting firm with strong coastal, water resources, and environmental practices. Competes for similar municipal and federal coastal engineering and environmental engagements.
- SLR Consulting: Global environmental and advisory consultancy with coastal, marine, and water resources capabilities. Comparable in environmental permitting, impact assessment, and coastal resilience projects.
- ICF International: Environmental and energy consulting firm with deep federal, state, and utility client relationships. Comparable in environmental impact assessment, climate resilience, and coastal/marine advisory work for regulated clients.
Direct peers
- Moffatt & Nichol: Coastal, marine, and water resources engineering consultancy with decades of experience on harbors, ports, and coastal infrastructure. Directly comparable in coastal engineering, oceanographic analysis, and environmental permitting services to Coastal Environments.
- Anchor QEA: Waterfront, marine, and coastal engineering and environmental science consultancy serving government and private clients. Highly comparable in coastal dynamics, sediment management, and habitat restoration work.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Coastal Environments social profiles
Digital presenceCoastal Environments financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coastal Environments leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Coastal Environments funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coastal Environments M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coastal Environments
What does Coastal Environments do?
Coastal Environments is a multidisciplinary oceanographic, coastal engineering, and environmental consulting firm that provides scientific, regulatory, and operational field expertise. The firm delivers eight core services including coastal engineering, physical oceanography, wetland restoration, environmental impact assessment, marine geology, biological monitoring, data analysis & numerical modeling, and literature reviews. It serves government agencies, private industry, and NGOs on projects such as artificial reef construction, lagoon restoration, coastal hazard assessment, and environmental impact studies worldwide.
Is Coastal Environments a public or private company?
Coastal Environments is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Coastal Environments founded?
Coastal Environments was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coastal Environments based?
Coastal Environments is headquartered in La Jolla, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coastal Environments make money?
One revenue line is on record: consulting Services.
Who are Coastal Environments's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Environmental Resources Management (ERM), AECOM, Kleinfelder, Tetra Tech, GHD, Michael Baker International, SLR Consulting and ICF International. Direct peers are Moffatt & Nichol and Anchor QEA.
Does Coastal Environments have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coastal Environments.
What industry is Coastal Environments in?
Coastal Environments's product category is Coastal Engineering & Environmental Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAI, Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines), with a secondary code of BPADALAI, Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management. Its NAICS code is 541620 and its SIC code is 8731.