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Benjamin Kenneth Norris
  • Pronouns he, him, his, his, himself
  • Title
    • Assistant Project Scientist
  • Division Physical & Biological Sciences Division
  • Department
    • Institute of Marine Sciences
  • Email
  • Website
  • Office Location
    • Long Marine Lab Ocean Health Building, 209
  • Mail Stop Long Marine Lab

Summary of Expertise

Benjamin's expertise spans coastal, estuarine, and riverine settings, with a focus on nearshore processes and the hydrodynamics of aquatic ecosystems.

Research Interests

Benjamin's research interests include the development of "green infrastructure" or nature-based solutions for mitigating coastal hazards such as flooding and erosion.

Biography, Education and Training

Dr. Benjamin Norris is a research oceanographer with a Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography from the University of Waikato, New Zealand, and a BSc in Earth Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz. In his Ph.D. thesis, he explored the linkages between tidal currents, waves, and sediment transport in a coastal mangrove forest to understand key bio-physical feedbacks that characterize mangrove ecosystems. Professionally, Benjamin has worked both in private industry as a Hydrologist and for the United States Geological Survey as a Research Oceanographer.

Honors, Awards and Grants

  • 2020 - 2022 USGS Mendenhall Fellowship, US Geological Survey
  • 2014 - 2018 PhD Fellowship, University of Waikato
  • 2016 Best PhD Student Presentation, University of Waikato

Selected Publications

  • Norris, B.K., Storlazzi, C.D., Pomeroy, A.W.M., Rosenberger, K.J., Logan, J.B., Cheriton, O.M. “Combining field observations and high-resolution numerical modeling to demonstrate the effect of coral reef roughness on turbulence and its implications for reef restoration design”. Coastal Engineering. 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.coastaleng.2023.104331

  • Norris, B.K., Mullarney, J.C., Bryan, K.R., Henderson, S.M., “Relating Millimeter-scale Turbulence to Meter-scale Subtidal Erosion and Accretion across the Fringe of a Coastal Mangrove Forest.” 2021. Earth Surfaces Processes and Landforms. DOI: 10.1002/esp.5047
  • Norris, B.K., Mullarney, J.C., Bryan, K.R., Henderson, S.M. “Turbulence within Natural Mangrove Pneumatophore Canopies”. 2019. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 124, 2263–2288. DOI: 10.1029/2018JC014562
  • Norris, B.K., Mullarney, J.C., Bryan, K.R., Henderson, S.M. “The effect of pneumatophore density on turbulence: a field study in a Sonneratia-dominated mangrove forest, Vietnam. 2017. Continental Shelf Research, 147, 114–127. DOI: 10.1016/j.csr.2017.06.002

Selected Presentations

  • Norris, B.K., 2022. “The Effect of Natural Coral Reef Roughness on Hydrodynamics and Implications for Reef Restoration Design”, Natural Hazards Mission Area Seminar Series, U.S. Geological Survey
  • Norris, B.K., 2022. “The Role of Mangroves and Coral Reefs in Enhancing Coastal Resilience”, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center Seminar Series, U.S. Geological Survey
  • Norris, B.K., 2021. “Small-scale Turbulence and its Influence on Forest-scale Morphodynamics within a Coastal Mangrove Forest”, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Seminar Series, U.S. Geological Survey
  • Norris, B.K., 2021. “The Effect of Natural Coral Reef Roughness on Hydrodynamics and Implications for Reef Restoration Design”, International Coral Reefs Symposium, Bremen, Germany