This volume offers a broad and comprehensive examination of observational, modeling and theoretical aspects of coastal sea level science. The collection of overview articles provides up-to-date information on the causes of coastal sea level variability and change, contributes to better understanding of the influence of large-scale climate signals and open ocean processes on the coast, and addresses effects of waves, storm surges, and tides on extreme sea level and coastal flooding. Projections of long-term coastal changes and associated uncertainties are also proposed. The volume contributes to better identifying priorities for the development of an optimal and integrated (satellite and ground-based) coastal observing system and highlights present modeling and observing challenges for monitoring and predicting coastal sea level on daily to multi-decadal time scales. Previously published in Surveys in Geophysics, Volume 40, Issue 6, 2019 The chapters Concepts and Terminology for Sea Level: Mean, Variability and Change, Both Local and Global , Forcing Factors Affecting Sea Level Changes at the Coast , Sea Level and the Role of Coastal Trapped Waves in Mediating the Influence of the Open Ocean on the Coast , Impacts of Basin-Scale Climate Modes on Coastal Sea Level: a Review , Interactions Between Mean Sea Level, Tide, Surge, Waves and Flooding: Mechanisms and Contributions to Sea Level Variations at the Coast , Uncertainties in Long-Term Twenty-First Century Process-Based Coastal Sea-Level Projections and Probabilistic Sea Level Projections at the Coast by 2100 are available as open access articles under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com