Mitchell Dean Harley

Associate Professor Mitchell Dean Harley serves as a Scientia Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he leads groundbreaking research in coastal erosion and hazard management. Based at the UNSW Water Research Laboratory at Manly Vale Campus, his work spans multiple continents through international collaborations and monitoring programs.

Education:

• BEng (Environmental), UNSW Sydney (2004)
• BSc (Oceanography/Meteorology), UNSW Sydney (2004)
• PhD, UNSW Sydney (2009)

Professor Harley's research focuses on developing innovative technologies to enhance understanding and management of coastal hazards. His work encompasses coastal remote sensing (from smartphones to satellites), coastal wave climate downscaling, real-time forecasting systems, artificial intelligence applications, and citizen science initiatives. He is particularly recognized for founding the CoastSnap program in 2017, now the world's largest coastal monitoring citizen science initiative operating across 35 countries with over 600 permanent monitoring stations. His research integrates field measurements, satellite observations, and numerical modeling to address critical coastal management challenges in an era of climate change.

Professor Harley's extensive publication record includes 68 journal articles, 5 book chapters, and numerous conference papers that collectively advance our understanding of coastal dynamics and hazard prediction. His work demonstrates a consistent pattern of integrating emerging technologies with traditional coastal science to develop practical solutions for coastal communities worldwide.

Research Leadership:

• CoastSnap community beach monitoring program (UN Ocean Decade Action)
• CoastSat satellite-derived shorelines open-source software
• Coastal Hazard Early Warning Systems for Australia and Italy
• Rip current detection using AI with UNSW Beach Safety Research Group
• Narrabeen-Collaroy beach survey program (continuing 50-year dataset)

Professor Harley actively mentors the next generation of coastal scientists, currently supervising seven PhD students and one MPhil student across diverse topics including AI-based rip current detection, satellite shoreline monitoring, and extreme wave modeling. His former students have completed significant research on wave climate projections, coastal storm hazard forecasting, shoreline variability, and erosion modeling frameworks. He frequently provides expert commentary on coastal hazards to Australian and international media outlets, translating complex scientific concepts for public understanding.