Starting with a general introduction to ocean wave formation, this talk will cover surf zone hydrodynamics such as wave reflection, wave focusing, rip currents and sneaker waves before delving into Dr. Shanks’ research on surf zones and biology. His current research looks at how alongshore variations in surfzone hydrodynamics, reflective to dissipative surf zones, generates very large alongshore differences in community structure. 

Alan Shanks is a Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Oregon and has been working at the University’s marine laboratory, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, since 1994. He has a B.A. from the University of California Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  He is a Biological Oceanographer, but, because he gets seasick too easily, his research has focused on the hydrodynamics of the nearshore ocean and how this affects the distribution of animals, particular planktonic larvae, and phytoplankton. He has published over 100 papers on a range of topics. One of his current research interests is the effect of surf zones at rocky shores on intertidal communities.