Research Activities
Our research focuses on understanding coastal systems and developing better ways to predict and sustainably manage risks from flooding, erosion, and debris hazards. We emphasize working with natural processes through nature-based solutions—relying on coastal wetlands, beaches, intertidal flats, reefs, and engineered (hybrid) alternatives to buffer against hazards while delivering multiple co-benefits to society and ecosystems. Through transdisciplinary collaboration within community-centered coastal observatories, we track system behaviors and trajectories, improve predictive models, and develop novel nature-based solutions. By considering system dynamics from global to microscopic scales, and over timescales ranging from centuries to seconds, we co-develop and apply science and local knowledge with diverse partners to support and advance sustainable coastal zone management.
Facilities
Specialized facilities for studies in Coastal Systems Engineering include wave flumes and recirculating flumes, located in the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Lab known as the “Rusty Hut”. We have an array of equipment for coastal and estuarine field experiments including acoustic Doppler velocimeters, pressure sensors, turbidity sensors, and drones.