The Natural Geography in Shore Areas (NaGISA, the Japanese word for beach) project is the nearshore component of the Census of Marine Life program. NaGISA targets nearshore marine biodiversity in large macrophyte communities (hard bottom macroalgal communities and soft sediment sea grass beds) in a depth zonation from high intertidal to 15 m water depth. The overall goal of NaGISA is to quantify nearshore biodiversity on a global scale by conducting a longitudinal and latitudinal gradient. Outreach to the public, involvement of local communities in the sampling, and education are important components of the NaGISA program.