Leuphana University is partner in the regional research network A-KÜST, which is concerned with adaptation strategies to expected climate change in coastal areas. As coastal protection is faced with the effects of climate change, it needs to reconsider its long term strategic options. Decisions taken based on scientific findings and on conceivable engineering solutions need acceptance in society and backup by the public in order to become effective. The A-KÜST project takes this into account by involving actors from society very early on in the scientific research and strategic development process through an institutionalized Advisory Council of stakeholders, opinion leaders and decision makers. Thus A-KÜST is conceived, organised, and designed as a transdisciplinary research process. Leuphana leads the A-KÜST Subproject 06 “Perception and cooperation”, which surveys the perceptions and assessments of climate change, of it's impacts on coastal protection, of options for adaptation measures and for long term adaptation strategies from the perspectives of different groups of stakeholders and actors, of scientists and of the general public. The subproject is conducted in close contact with the members of the Advisory Council. The results are analysed and fed back into the A-KÜST research network. The subproject will lead to a more sophisticated understanding of the actors´ perceptions and interests and of possible future conflicts. Based on this analysis, recommendations will be generated regarding research and communication needs for further development of technically feasible, financially affordable and socially acceptable coastal protection strategies, which are adaptive to future developments in the climate change process. The subproject also evaluates the transdisciplinary approach of A-KÜST as such. Expected outcomes are, on a substantive level: enriching and improving the design of options for future coastal protection strategies and thus delivering an extended and stronger basis and enhanced public acceptance for multi criteria strategic decision making; and on a methodological level: recommendations for further optimization of the research design and for the conceptual transfer of transdisciplinarity to other coastal protection and long-term planning projects.