Oceanographic & Coastal Processes
Research Focus AeaResearch Focus Area Overview
The coastal ocean, from the estuarine shoreline to the edge of the continental rise, is perhaps the most important and yet vulnerable areas of the world’s oceans. The chemical, physical, and biological processes that affect these coastal seas are intertwined and complex. Our researchers use interdisciplinary approaches, modeling and empirical, to obtain a quantitative understanding of these processes.
Research Labs
Marine Geochemistry & Coastal Dynamics
Lab
Oceanography & Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Ocean Lab
Coastal Engineering & Adaptation
Lab
Coastal Marine Processes & Geomorphology Lab
Ecology & Biogeochemistry
in Marine & Coastal
Systems Lab
Coasts & Oceans Observing
Lab
News
Jim Morley Brings Shrimp and Sheepshead Studies to CSI
Jim Morley, a new assistant scientist at CSI and assistant professor in the Department of Biology at ECU, is excitedly anticipating all the possibilities of the work to come here at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus. While his work has been...
NCA&T Ocean Design Class Visits CSI to Test Oscillating Wave Column
On February 25, 15 mechanical engineering students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T), visited the ECU Outer Banks Campus to put their oscillating wave column to the test in CSI’s wave tank. The students are part of Dr. Michael...
ECU Students Visit Beach for First OBX Semester Experience Field Trip
The history of the Outer Banks beaches is filled with stories of storms, erosion, and renourishment projects. When drastic events occur almost anyone can tell that their favorite beach spot has changed, but for some time scale variations of the landscape are often...
ECU, CSI Host Successful Blue Heron Bowl
Most people come to the Outer Banks to relax and vacation, however that was not on the agenda for the 57 students and coaches that traveled to Roanoke Island for Blue Heron Bowl this past weekend. The Blue Heron Bowl, a regional event for the National Ocean Sciences...
Never Underestimate the Importance of a Stringy, Brown Mass
Sargassum, not to be confused with sarcasm, is a genus of large brown seaweed (a type of algae). An adornment of berry or grape-like structures (pneumatocysts) filled with air adds buoyancy to the plant, allowing it to spend its life in enviable fashion – floating...
Faculty Spotlight: Sid Narayan
As a young man growing up in the coastal city of Chennai, India, Dr. Siddharth (Sid) Narayan, currently an Assistant Professor in the ECU Department of Coastal Studies, demonstrated extreme courage. No, he didn’t tussle with a Bengal tiger, although the situation may...
Faculty Spotlight: Nadine Heck
Growing up on the shores of Lake Constance in southern Germany, where natural beauty co-exists with a long history of human habitation, Dr. Nadine Heck has always been curious about how people interact with, manage, and conserve the natural landscapes around them....
Faculty Spotlight: Jim Morley
College elective courses don’t typically alter the trajectory of a person’s life, but in James (Jim) Morley’s case they did. While an undergrad at the State University of New York at Cortland, needing to fulfill his electives requirement, he randomly chose a couple of...
CSI, Jennette’s Pier Host 2020 OBX Science Fair
One of CSI’s Public Education and Outreach objectives is to get kids excited about science and to help them understand the scientific process. For the last three years, CSI and a variety of partners have done just that, and this year has only proven to be better. CSI,...
CSI and ECU Faculty Publish Paper on Coastal Adaptation in Pacific Island Nations
In a just-published paper, Drs. Siddarth Narayan and Nadine Heck, along with an international team of collaborators, examine how communities affected by coastal hazards choose to adapt. By analyzing data collected from coastal communities in four Pacific island...
Based at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) advances inter-disciplinary marine energy solutions across UNC System partner colleges of engineering at NC State University, UNC Charlotte, and NC A&T University. Click on the links below for more information.
ECU's Integrated Coastal Programs (ECU ICP) is a leader in coastal and marine research, education, and engagement. ECU ICP includes the Coastal Studies Institute, ECU's Department of Coastal Studies, and ECU Diving and Water Safety.
The ECU Outer Banks campus is home to the Coastal Studies Institute.
