Jeff Hansen

Associate Professor Jeff Hansen is a coastal physical oceanographer in the School of Earth and Oceans at the University of Western Australia, where he has held progressive academic positions since 2013. He advanced to Associate Professor in 2022, following roles as Senior Lecturer from 2018 to 2022 and Lecturer from 2013 to 2017. Prior to joining UWA, Hansen served as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 2012. His academic background includes a PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2011, an MSc in Applied Geoscience from San Francisco State University in 2007, and a BSc in Earth Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2002. Hansen is affiliated with the UWA Oceans Institute and the UWA Defence and Security Institute. He coordinates courses such as Marine and Coastal Processes, Marine Science, and Master of Oceanography, and units including EART2204 Coastal Processes, EART4415 Coastal Hazards and Adaptation, and GEOS5515 Coastal Dynamics.

Hansen's research centers on physical processes in coastal environments and their links to coastal evolution across various timescales. Key interests encompass wave-driven surf zone currents on beaches and reefs, inlet dynamics, nearshore sediment transport mechanisms, beach and coastal responses to storms and sea level rise, development of in situ and remote sensing techniques for waves, water levels, and currents, and marine renewable energy. His expertise aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals 7, 13, and 14. Notable publications include 'Coastal vulnerability across the Pacific dominated by El Niño/Southern Oscillation' (Nature Geoscience, 2015, 497 citations), 'Wave setup over a fringing reef with large bottom roughness' (Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2016, 106 citations), 'Dynamics of Wave Setup over a Steeply Sloping Fringing Reef' (Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2015, 99 citations), and 'Mechanisms of Wave-Driven Water Level Variability on Reef-Fringed Coastlines' (Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 2018, 93 citations). He leads projects such as IMOS WA Coastal Wave Buoys (2024-2027), Optimizing artificial reefs for nature-based coastal protection (2022-2026), and remote-sensing techniques for ocean surface currents (2022-2027), contributing datasets on wave-driven circulation, reef coastline responses, and wave climates. Hansen has produced 55 articles, 20 conference papers, and secured 28 grants, advancing wave forecasting, coastal protection, and ocean observations.

Professional Email: jeff.hansen@uwa.edu.au