To provide a set of coastlines consistent with GPWv3 raster data for cartographic purposes.

To provide estimates of urban and rural populations and land areas in the low elevation coastal zone.

To provide a gridded version of existing SeaWiFS data in GIS-compatible formats in order to determine concentrations of chlorophyll-a in the coastal water column and to facilitate the integration with other data.

To provide tabular data on the trends of chlorophyll-a concentration on a pixel by pixel basis for identifying areas with improving, declining, and stable coastal water quality that can provide guidance for decision making in the context of coastal management.

To provide a preliminary assessment of coastal Ramsar Sites that are at risk to inundation as a consequence of sea level rise.

To provide estimates of urban and rural populations and land areas for the years 1990, 2000, and 2010; and projections to the year 2100 for 202 countries with contiguous coastal elevations in the following categories: less than or equal to 1m, 3m, 5m, 7m, 9m, 10m, 12m, or 20m; as well as national totals.

To provide data that can be used in global mangrove forest distribution modeling, land cover change analysis, global carbon accounting studies and to assist with policy-making in regards to human-environment interactions and future adaptive strategies.

To preserve access to the original ecosystems data used by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) and other related research.

To provide information on the status of country participation in international environmental agreements.

To assess relative levels of economic activity in the coastal zone of West Africa.

To provide maternal education levels and poverty in West Africa.

To provide mangrove forests in the coastal zone of West Africa that may be exposed to the threats of sea level rise and storm surge.

To provide areas in the coastal zone of West Africa that may be particularly exposed to climate stressors owing to high population growth rates.

To provide areas in the coastal zone of West Africa that may be particularly exposed to climate stressors owing to high population density.

To measure human security and sensitivity of populations to climate stressors in the coastal zone of West Africa.

To provide high and low resolution elevation in forested ecosystems in the coastal zone of West Africa.

To provide roads linking rural production to urban markets in the coastal zone of West Africa that represent an important exposed infrastructure asset.

To provide areas of higher richness of threatened species which may be at risk from climate stressors in the coastal zone of West Africa.

To provide poverty levels in the coastal zone of West Africa.

To provide a measure of social vulnerability and "defenselessness" in the face of climate stressors in the coastal zone of West Africa.