Florida Institute of Technology · College of Engineering & Science
Research program
Research
The Coastal Processes Research Group — known in the field as the ADCP Lab — collects and manages currents, wave, and weather data at Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida. Data collection there was initiated in 1996 by the late Dr. Lee Harris of Florida Institute of Technology, beginning with oceanographic instrumentation and followed in 1997 by weather sensors at the end of the north jetty.
The record it produces aids the Sebastian Inlet District in inlet-management decisions, and underpins calculations for the longshore transport of sand as well as the development and testing of hydrodynamic and sediment-transport numerical models.
Research areas
The Coastal Processes Research Group has several ongoing research interests and ongoing field studies.
Wave Modeling
Numerical wave modeling supports the group's real-time and forecast coastal models, nested within basin-scale ocean models.
Sediment Transport and Morphology Modeling
Field observations are used to develop and test hydrodynamic and sediment-transport numerical models of inlet and shoreline change.
Sebastian Inlet
The group's primary field site, and the focus of long-term work on inter-annual sea-level change and barrier-island transgression (Zarillo, 2023).
Inlet Morphology in Australia
Estuary Morphology in South Korea
Includes morphological analysis of the barrier islands of the Nakdong River Estuary (Youn & Zarillo, 2022).
Since 1958
A long-term observational record
The group's understanding of Sebastian Inlet rests on datasets that reach back more than six decades — from early shoreline surveys to the continuous, instrumented monitoring program that runs today.
1958
Shoreline-position tracking begins.
1989
Topographic data collection begins.
1993
A submerged wave gauge is installed.
1996
The oceanographic monitoring program is initiated by the late Dr. Lee Harris.
1997
A weather station is added at the end of the north jetty.
2007
The long-term coastal applied-research agreement between Florida Tech and the Sebastian Inlet District begins.
Key finding · Sebastian Inlet
“Periods of seasonal sea level rise correlate to cumulative sand volume losses, and seasonal falling sea level can be directly linked to sand volume gains.”
From the group's Sebastian Inlet research, as reported by Florida Tech News, November 2019. Read the Florida Tech News article →
Real-time forecast modeling
The group builds real-time and forecast models of coastal engineering and processes, nested within basin-scale ocean models so that regional dynamics drive the local coastal solution. This approach is documented in two papers in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering:
Habib, M. A. & Zarillo, G. A. (2023). “Construction of a Real-Time Forecast Model for Coastal Engineering and Processes Nested in a Basin Scale Model.”
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering · 11(7), 1263 · 2023
View on MDPI →
Habib, M. A. & Zarillo, G. A. (2024). “Construction of a Real-Time Forecast Model with Deep Learning Techniques for Coastal Engineering and Processes: Nested in a Basin Scale Suite of Models.”
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering · 12(7), 1152 · 2024
View on MDPI →
Explore the program
See the observations and the published record behind the research.
Coastal Processes Research GroupFlorida Institute of Technology
150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901
coastal.fit.edu