Remote sensing methods are increasingly being deployed to measure and investigate morphology and hydrodynamics in the littoral zone, across spatial scales ranging from centimetres to kilometres, and at time-scales ranging from seconds to years. In the past 5 years in Australia, the deployment of video-based coastal imaging systems has grown rapidly, and by 2004, some 32 cameras were operating at eight sites along the coasts of New South Wales and Queensland. Coastal imaging techniques are being applied to a range of coastline monitoring programs. Projects include large- and small-scale sand nourishment works, the construction of a nearshore artificial reef structure, and the ongoing management of sand bypassing operations. At the same time, the growing image databases are underpinning more fundamental coastal research. The focus of recent and current research includes rip current behaviour, climate impacts, nearshore bar dynamics, and the development of new image analysis methods to support future research.