We conduct field-based research investigating the physical (and coupled biological) processes governing wave transformation, energy dissipation, and circulation across rocky shore and inner-shelf environments. These efforts are supported by small- and large-scale field experiments using innovative instrumentation, including GPS-equipped drifters, fixed sensor arrays, and autonomous platforms, to resolve spatially complex and highly dissipative coastal systems.
Our work emphasizes the role of bathymetric variability and roughness in modifying wave dynamics, particularly the transformation of short-wave energy into infragravity motions, and the subsequent partitioning between bound and free waves. These processes differ fundamentally from sandy beaches, with rocky environments exhibiting enhanced bottom friction, localized dissipation, and altered reflection and transmission characteristics.
Recent and ongoing observations are being used to address key research areas, including:
- Wave transformation and energy dissipation over rocky and reef environments, including the balance between breaking, bottom friction, and nonlinear energy transfers;
- Infragravity wave dynamics, including the generation, propagation, and relative contributions of bound and free waves in complex bathymetry;
- Cross-shore and alongshore exchange across the surfzone and inner-shelf, with emphasis on how rocky morphology modifies transport pathways;
- Lagrangian transport and dispersion, including the mixing of tracers and pollutants in highly structured flow environments;
- Coupled observations and modeling, including the integration of autonomous measurements with numerical models to improve predictive capability in nearshore systems.
These efforts aim to improve process-based understanding and parameterization of rocky nearshore environments, which remain underrepresented relative to sandy coasts, and are critical for advancing coastal hazard prediction, environmental management, and operational forecasting.
citizenship
Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and non-U.S. citizens
level
Open to Postdoctoral and Senior applicants
Additional Benefits
relocation
Awardees who reside more than 50 miles from their host laboratory and remain on tenure for at least six months are eligible for paid relocation to within the vicinity of their host laboratory.
health insurance
A group health insurance program is available to awardees and their qualifying dependents in the United States.