Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Coastal Morphodynamics Lab
Led by Maitane Olabarrieta · Civil and Coastal Engineering
What we study
The lab studies how storms and long-term changes affect coasts, using computer models, field surveys, and remote sensing to predict coastal erosion and flooding.
What working here is like
- Computational
- Fieldwork
- Coding helps
- Papers
- 5
Recent papers, explained
- Estimating First-Floor Heights of Residential Houses from Google Street View Imagery Using Object Detection
2026 · Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering
Uses Google Street View images to estimate building heights for flood risk.
- The Annual Modulation of Subtidal Estuarine Dynamics by the Gulf Stream
2026 · Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans
Shows how the Gulf Stream affects water levels and salinity in an estuary.
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- Coastal microplastic concentrations increase after Hurricanes Helene and Milton (2024)
2026 · Scientific Reports
Finds more microplastics in Florida after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
- Inundation Processes, Barrier Island Breaching, and Structure Impacts During Hurricane Michael (2018)
2025 · Earth and Space Science
Simulates Hurricane Michael to predict flooding and building damage.
- Exchange flow structure at two inlets of a multiple-inlet subtropical estuary
2025 · Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
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