Coastal seas have gone through dramatic transformations over the past millennia. Many changes have been driven by human activities. Current coastal monitoring and reference conditions used in policy are however in the scale of decades. This short perspective affects restoration goals and current understanding of the full potential of more sustainable use. This report summarizes the outcome of a pilot study on if, and how, longer historical perspectives of the seas may be of use in a Swedish coastal management context. Through contacts with experts in a range of scientific disciplines, literature searches and workshops, the report aims at providing a point of departure for further in-depth investigations. The report is not a comprehensive review, but rather provides examples of records available, research performed and suggests potential research themes for the future. It is found that there are ample opportunities to use a wide range of historical records from Swedish coasts for various management applications. There are also coastal policy applications that already are informed by historical perspectives, both international and Swedish, that may merit from further investigations. Based on the general interest by marine management practitioners in what historical applications may bring to contemporary management, international collaboration may provide leverage for action through exchange of experiences and comparisons of historical records.