Sea levels have been rising since 1880, rising steadily each year, as shown in Figure 1 provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Globally, sea levels have risen 10-25 cm (3.9 - 9.8 inches) over the past century due to water inputs from melting ice sheets (Hopkinson et al.). Sea level rise is most noticeable on the east and west coasts. On the East Coast, sea levels rose from six inches to more than eight inches. On the West Coast, particularly in the Southern California region, sea levels rose 0.01 inch to two inches according to the web article, Climate Indicators in the United States, published by the EPA. This climate change significantly affects residents of coastal areas, where nearly 53% of the U.S. population resides (Crossett et al. 2004). Sea level rise can give rise to a variety of problems: rapid coastal erosion, shoreline change, loss of natural protective barriers, saltwater intrusion into aquifers and surface waters, changes in tidal prisms (volume of water in an inlet between high and low tide) and rising water tables (“Climate change and the impacts of sea level rise”). Ventura County faces numerous problems related to rapid coastal erosion and the loss of natural protective barriers. The Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment (BEACON) conducted a study to evaluate the conditions of several beaches along the Ventura County coast (Barlow, “Coastal Erosion Problems Highlighted in New Study”). Port Hueneme's western beaches (photo left) are losing three to five inches per month as sea levels rise pushes the beaches further back. The California King Tides Initiative is an organization made up of many different environmental groups....... middle of document ......ns: A CommunityCommitment." Ventura County. Ventura County, April 2012. Web. 13 February 2014. Crossett K, Culliton T, Wiely P, Goodspeed T, 2004. Demographic trends along the US coast: 1980-2008 Silver Spring, MD: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coast Trends Report Series. Hopkinson, Charles S ., Ariel E. Lugo, Merryl Alber, Alan P. Covich, and Skip J. Van Bloem. “Predicting the Effects of Sea Level Rise and Wind Storms on Coastal and Inland Ecosystems.” 6.5 (2008): 255-63 Ecological Society of America, June 2008. Web. “Plans, Actions and Resources/Preparing for Sea Level Rise.” Surging Seas, nd Web. “Dutch Relief Plan for the Area of the bay due to sea level rise." Web log post. Carbon-based: Blogspot. Np, 21 September 2009. Web. 13 February. 2014.