My work focuses on understanding how coastal systems respond to environmental change, and how this understanding can be used to support coastal resilience, adaptation, and risk management.

I work across a range of applied coastal science projects investigating coastal erosion, geomorphological change, environmental hazards, and nature-based approaches to coastal resilience. My research combines field monitoring, remote sensing, numerical modelling, and environmental analysis to better understand how coastlines evolve under the influence of storms, sea-level rise, sediment dynamics, and human disturbance.

A major focus of my current work is the response of historically modified coastlines to extreme events. Through the UKRI-funded Legacy Wastes in the Coastal Zone programme and a subsequent NERC Urgency Grant, I lead geomorphological investigations into erosion and contaminant remobilisation along the Durham spoil coast, using LiDAR, remote sensing, coastal imaging systems, and field monitoring to quantify coastal change and environmental risk. This work contributes directly to understanding how storm-driven erosion can mobilise legacy pollutants and influence future coastal management strategies.

I am also involved in research examining nature-based approaches to coastal adaptation and resilience. Through the DEFRA-funded Stronger Shores programme, our work investigates how marine ecosystems such as kelp can attenuate wave energy and contribute to coastal protection under changing environmental conditions.

Alongside this work, I have extensive experience in coastal hazard research, particularly relating to rip currents, surf-zone processes, and operational hazard forecasting. Working with Surf Life Saving New Zealand, I have contributed to development of coastal hazard forecasting systems that translate environmental observations and hydrodynamic analysis into operational tools supporting public safety and lifeguard decision-making.

Across all of these projects, I am particularly interested in the interface between coastal science and practical decision-making. Much of my work is undertaken in collaboration with government agencies, environmental organisations, operational partners, and consultancy teams, with a focus on generating evidence that can directly support coastal management, resilience planning, and hazard mitigation.

Research Areas

Coastal Resilience & Climate Adaptation

• Coastal erosion and shoreline change
• Coastal response to storms and extreme events
• Climate adaptation and resilience planning
• Nature-based coastal protection

Coastal Hazards

• Rip currents and surf-zone dynamics
• Coastal flooding and storm impacts
• Hazard forecasting and risk communication
• Public safety and operational coastal risk management

Coastal Monitoring & Environmental Change

• LiDAR and coastal imaging systems
• UAV and remote sensing applications
• Geomorphological monitoring
• Sediment transport and coastal evolution
• Environmental risk and contaminant mobilisation

Numerical Modelling & Coastal Processes

• Hydrodynamic modelling
• Wave transformation and attenuation
• XBeach, Delft3D, and SFINCS applications
• Coastal process interactions across complex environments

Collaboration

I am always interested in discussing opportunities for collaboration relating to coastal resilience, environmental monitoring, hazard assessment, and applied coastal science.

If you are interested in collaborating, developing a project, or discussing postgraduate research opportunities, please get in touch.