James Hench

James Hench is an Associate Professor of Oceanography at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Director of Graduate Studies in Marine Science & Conservation. His research focuses on coastal ocean fluid dynamics, coral reef hydrodynamics, and interdisciplinary environmental processes. He leads the Physical Oceanography component of the Moorea Coral Reef LTER project and investigates wave-driven circulation, coral reef restoration, and climate change impacts.

Education: Ph.D. in Oceanography from University of North Carolina (2002), M.S. from Stanford University (1992), and B.S. from North Carolina State University (1991).

Research interests include coral reef hydrodynamics, fluid-structure interactions, larval transport, and estuarine dynamics. Current projects address wave-driven reef circulation, extreme event impacts, stratification effects in estuaries, and sponge excurrents. His work integrates field measurements, computational models, and theoretical analyses to bridge physical, biological, and ecological systems.

Recent grants include NSF funding for estuarine circulation studies and NOAA support for coral restoration's wave attenuation effects. His lab actively seeks PhD candidates in ocean sciences or environmental fluid mechanics with backgrounds in engineering, applied mathematics, or environmental science.

Labs/Teams: Hench Lab focuses on coastal fluid dynamics and coral reef systems. Collaborative projects involve interdisciplinary teams addressing coral restoration, hydrodynamic modeling, and climate resilience.