To subscribe to the ORE seminar mailing list, click here.
For a (working draft) list of upcoming seminars, click here.
If you are interested in giving an ORE seminar, please contact us at nosal [at] hawaii [dot] edu.
Student Defenses
MS Plan A Defense: The Relationship Between Hydrodynamic and Morphologic Changes at Sunset Beach
Zoom Meeting ID: 970 3827 6831Merritt Shepherd Master’s Student Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Mānoa **This defense will be held over Zoom** Meeting ID: 970 3827 6831 Passcode: MerrittMS https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/97038276831 In recent years, Sunset Beach on O'ahu’s North Shore has experienced multiple erosion events. Consequently, the US Army Crops of Engineers has collected datasets describing Sunset Beach through aerial photographic surveys and beach cameras to resolve the coastline variability from 2020-2021. The aerial and coastline imagery were processed to determine beach area and volume time series. The constructed beach time series indicates large seasonal variations and year-to-year variations, driven by
MS Plan A Defense: A Comparative Study of the Tsunamis from the 2021 and 2023 Loyalty Islands Mw 7.7 Thrust-Fault and Normal-Fault Earthquakes
POST 723 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, United StatesWilliam Robert Master’s Student Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Mānoa **This defense will be held both in person (POST 723) and over Zoom** Meeting ID: 940 0074 6297 Passcode: WillMS https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/94000746297 The Vanuatu Subduction Zone is an active tectonic region with a history of moderate to large tsunamigenic earthquakes. While over 40 earthquakes of Mw 7.0 or stronger have occurred along the New Hebrides trench within the past quarter-century, the subduction dynamics, tsunamigenic potential, and coastal risk of tsunamigenic earthquakes emanating from the southern trench remain understudied. We compare the tsunami signals from the 2021
MS Plan A Defense: Nonhydrostatic XBeach Simulation of Wave Transformations in a Fringing Reef Environment: Validation using Field Observations
POST 723 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, United StatesCharlotte White Master’s Student Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Mānoa **This defense will be held both in person (POST 723) and over Zoom** Meeting ID: 924 2221 6911 Passcode: CharMS https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/92422216911 Modeling wave transformations in nearshore fringing reef environments is a highly evolving field, especially for engineering applications. This study focuses on wave transformation at Waimānalo Beach, a location that features a shallow fringing reef and sloping seafloor. To study the wave characteristics at the site, the nonhydrostatic version of XBeach (nonhXB), a two-dimension, depth-integrated numerical model is implemented. The offshore boundary wave conditions are
PhD Defense: Designing Wave-Powered Ocean Observing: Experimental Findings of an Oscillating Water Column Type Wave Energy Converter.
Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United StatesNicholas Ulm PhD Candidate Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Mānoa **This defense will be held both in person (Holmes Hall 287) and over Zoom** Meeting ID: 945 9089 1382 Passcode: NicPHD The study of oscillating water column (OWC)-type wave energy converters (WEC) has primarily focused on applications in the nearshore environment with an end use in residential power grids. This dissertation examines the power performance of a new OWC geometry relative to blue economy objectives that focus on providing power in the intermediate-water-depth environment. This geometry, which is based on the Halona Blowhole, consists of
MS Plan B Defense: A Navigation System to Enable Real-Time Relative Positioning at Sea
Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United StatesMatthew Feeley Master’s Student Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Mānoa **This defense will be held in-person only at Holmes 287 Oceanographic research conducted by unmanned robotic swarms demands spatially precise coordination of vessels. Although research in position control of autonomous vessels has advanced, it is challenging to acquire relative positioning guidance at sea without committing significant resources toward vessel modifications or new equipment. This paper presents an overview of NarwhalNav, a navigation technology designed to make relative positioning data more accessible. NarwhalNav integrates a GNSS receiver, radio and software into a mobile package for rapid
PhD Defense: Innovative Coastal Defense in an Idealized Barrier Reef System
Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United StatesShijie Huang PhD Candidate Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Mānoa **This defense will be held both in person (Holmes Hall 287) and over Zoom** Meeting ID: 862 6019 2680 Passcode: ShijiePHD Climate change has dramatically exacerbated coastal erosion, primarily through the effects of sea level rise, the intensification of tropical storms, and the increased frequency of high-wave events. These processes pose a severe threat to the tourism-based economy and the densely populated coastlines of Hawai‘i, where coastal erosion has become an urgent issue. Compounding the problem, traditional coastal defense structures—such as seawalls, breakwaters, and revetments—have
MS Plan A Defense: Acoustic Signal Propagation from Kaua’i Beacon to ALOHA Cabled Observatory
Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United StatesElizabeth Taylor Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 723) and Zoom** In-person: POST 723 Meeting ID: 828 2791 1158 Passcode: Eliza2025 https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/82827911158 Acoustic tomography is a powerful technique for remote ocean sampling that measures ocean properties over integrated acoustic paths. The information gained can be used to refine ocean models and improve the understanding of oceanographic processes. Tomography has diverse applications, including the study of internal waves, temperature variability, gyre dynamics, tides, and other ocean phenomena. Acoustic tomography leverages the fact that sound speed is
MS Plan A Defense: Evaluation of Coastal Imaging Georectification For Measuring Runup With UAV’s On Hawai’i Beaches
Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United StatesGabriel Nelson Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in-person (HOLM 287) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 884 1267 3489 Passcode: GabrielMS https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/88412673489 Coastal inundation presents a significant and escalating threat to island communities such as Hawaii, driven by rising sea levels and increasing wave activity. Under these circumstances, precise measurement of wave runup is crucial for accurate coastal hazard assessments, effective mitigation strategies, and sound engineering practices. UAV-based photogrammetry paired with the Coastal Imaging Research Network (CIRN) Toolbox offers a powerful tool for coastal image processing. However, CIRN’s standard
MS Plan A Defense: Path Optimization for Acoustical Oceanography Applications
POST 723 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, United StatesPrajna Jandial Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 723) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 832 8033 9161 Passcode: 2025 https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/83280339161 This MS work aims to contribute to underwater acoustic sampling techniques through machine learning. It has two objectives: (1) Optimizing the sampling process for underwater sound fields and (2) Optimizing data assimilation for ocean acoustic tomography. To address the first objective, we developed an approach that leverages autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to sample unknown sound fields. Unlike fixed sensor networks with spatial constraints, AUVs can make
MS Plan A: Numerical Modeling of Wave Dynamics at Ulupa’u Crater: Validation of SWAN and XBeach with Field Observations
Camryn Dillon Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 708) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 858 0966 0255 Passcode: CamrynMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/85809660255 This study aims to validate the SWAN and nonhydrostatic XBeach models by comparing simulated wave transformations to field observations collected offshore of Ulupaʻu Crater, O'ahu. The models were calibrated using site-specific bathymetry and wave conditions to replicate observed wave behavior. The accuracy of each model was assessed using spectral analysis and time-series comparisons with ADCP and pressure sensor data. This work explores the effectiveness
MS Plan A Defense: Resident AUV design and validation for autonomous docking and charging at Kilo Nalu Observatory
Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United StatesNorman Chung Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (Holmes 287) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 839 1898 9765 Passcode: NormanMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/83918989765 Near-shore environments are important to oceanographers because of their relationship to the biogeochemical and anthropogenic processes which occur on land and at sea. Some traditional approaches to researching these environments include using fixed installations, such as cabled observatories and moored buoys, or mobile platforms like remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Each of these approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages.
MS Plan B: Evaluating Stability and Structural Integrity of a Modified Cargo Ship
Jacob Dennis Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 418) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 835 7663 5393 Passcode: JacobMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/83576635393 Modifying existing ships can be a cost-effective way to meet new operational demands without the time and expense of building entirely new vessels. One common modification is increasing the vessel’s length to expand cargo capacity. However, such changes can significantly impact a ship’s stability and structural integrity, raising important safety considerations. This project investigates the effects of a 52-foot hull extension on a Mariner-class