Media & Science Communication
The Coasts and Estuaries Research Group has several research projects available for potential future students. These projects are available as Honours projects for those completing their undergraduate degrees and for postgraduate research programs (PhD and MPhil).
Current Research projects underway within the group are detailed here.
Resilience of coastal sand barriers: tipping points for overtopping and break-through
Investigate the conditions for overtopping, washover, rollover and break-through of estuarine and open-coast sand barriers, and their sensitivity/resilience to these processes for current and future ocean conditions (storm waves & water levels) and sea-level rise. The Deeban estuarine barrier-spit in Port Hacking experienced overwash, rollover and break-through in 2020 and will be a focus study site for data analysis and field work. Historical and recent morphological data will be analysed along with nearshore hydrodynamic datasets and ocean wave and tide data to understand what brought on the tipping-point change. Open-coast barriers to investigate could include Bribie Island (break-through event in 2022), and Manning Point, which may experience a very similar break-through to Bribie Island in coming years. The research will inform coastal planning/management by identifying the conditions and potential for tipping-point changes.
Resilience of coastal sand barriers: tipping points for overtopping and break-through
Investigate the conditions for overtopping, washover, rollover and break-through of estuarine and open-coast sand barriers, and their sensitivity/resilience to these processes for current and future ocean conditions (storm waves & water levels) and sea-level rise. The Deeban estuarine barrier-spit in Port Hacking experienced overwash, rollover and break-through in 2020 and will be a focus study site for data analysis and field work. Historical and recent morphological data will be analysed along with nearshore hydrodynamic datasets and ocean wave and tide data to understand what brought on the tipping-point change. Open-coast barriers to investigate could include Bribie Island (break-through event in 2022), and Manning Point, which may experience a very similar break-through to Bribie Island in coming years. The research will inform coastal planning/management by identifying the conditions and potential for tipping-point changes.