Gary Griggs has written or co-authored nine books about the coast and coastal issues both in California and globally. As a Distinguished Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz, he is known for his expertise in oceanography and coastal geology.

Kim Steinhardt is a writer and award-winning marine wildlife photographer whose stories and photos interpret the natural world for all ages and audiences. He has been an adviser and photo contributor to National Geographic Kids Explore My World series, and his work appears in other publications and on TV. In 2017, Steinhardt co-authored The Edge: The Pressured Past and Precarious Future of California’s Coast, and he frequently writes and presents regarding sea otters, coastal advocacy, and the often-troubled relationship between humans and nature. He also serves as president of the board of directors of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

"Steinhardt and Griggs have created a delightful and insightful tour of California's coastal edge, past, present, and future. They do a masterful job of weaving together the interconnections of the changing natural world over different time scales with the changing societal landscape and human interventions to modify the coastal edge as population grew and societal priorities changed. I recommend this book to all who are interested in one of the most beautiful coasts in the world." —Jerry R. Schubel, Ph.D., President and CEO, Aquarium of the Pacific