Given that the majority of the world’s population lives along the coast, sea level is rising, and hurricane intensity is expected to increase with global warming, it has become more important than ever to understand the mechanisms driving large-scale coastal behavior.

Our research focuses on the large-scale geologic and modern evolution of coastal environments with an emphasis on understanding the impacts of climate change on coastal systems.  We use a combination of field and computational techniques to investigate:

• Ecomorphodynamic (ecological – physical) interactions in coastal systems
• Barrier island evolution in response to rising sea level
• The effects of changing wave climate on patterns of coastal erosion and accretion
• Impacts of coral reef decline on coastal morphology

Student Openings

The Coastal Change Lab currently has openings for graduate students beginning in Fall 2012. See the Geological Sciences Application Procedures web page and contact Laura Moore for more information. Application deadline is December 15, 2011.

Featured Article

Earth Magazine features journal article by Moore et al.