The Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory’s Field Research Facility (FRF) is located on the Atlantic Ocean near the town of Duck, North Carolina. Since its formation, the cornerstone of the FRF’s contribution to coastal research has been its long-term data measurements that stretch back to 1977. Few locations on the globe provide a better archive of wave, water, bathymetry and other forces that shape nearshore conditions. The records have evolved through time alongside the development of new tools, technologies, and approaches. Much of the current research at the FRF has not only served to further advance these capabilities, but has supported the conversion of these technologies into transferrable tools to support research or coastal project design, construction, and operation in other locations.