Mitchell Harley
Scientia Fellow & Senior Lecturer
UNSW Water Research Laboratory
Dr Mitchell Harley is a leading researcher in the field of continental shelf dynamics, wave climates, coastal modelling and real-time early warning systems for coastal hazards. Specialising in the fields of coastal morphodynamics, wave climatology, coastal modelling and early warning systems for coastal hazards.
His research has led to a number of seminal publications in distinguished journals such as the Journal of Geophysical Research, the International Journal of Climatology, Coastal Engineering, Geomorphology and Natural Hazards Earth System Sciences, and is cited in the latest IPCC report on impacts, adaption and vulnerability to climate change.
After completing his PhD at UNSW in 2009, Mitchell spent 5 years in Europe leading developments of Early Warning Systems to forecast coastal erosion risk. Upon returning to Australia in 2015, he now leads the historic Collaroy-Narrabeen coastal monitoring program – one of the longest-running beach monitoring programs worldwide.
In 2013, he was invited to lead an international short course on coastal modelling and coastal geohazards at the Korean Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) in Daejeon, South Korea.
In 2017 Mitchell founded the CoastSnap citizen science beach monitoring program that is now established in over 16 countries worldwide, and is presently the State President (NSW) of the Australian Coastal Society, to advocate for coastal issues Australia-wide.
