The overall objective of ACD is to improve our understanding of circum-Arctic coastal dynamics as a function of environmental forcing, coastal geology and cryology and morphodynamic behavior.

In particular, the ACD program proposed to: establish the rates and magnitudes of erosion and accumulation of Arctic coasts; develop a network of long-term monitoring sites including local community-based observational sites; identify and undertake focused research on critical processes; estimate the amount of sediments and organic carbon derived from coastal erosion; refine and apply an Arctic coastal classification (includes ground ice, permafrost, geology, etc.)

in digital form (GIS format); compile, analyze and apply existing information on relevant environmental forcing parameters (e.g. wind speed, sea level, fetch, sea ice etc.); develop empirical models to assess the sensitivity of Arctic coasts to environmental variability and human impacts; produce a series of thematic and derived maps (e.g. coastal classification, ground-ice, sensitivity etc.);