The peculiarities of how coastal currents change close to the shore is a surprisingly recent field of research and one in which several Bodega Marine Laboratory researchers are active, using approaches that include mathematics and field-observations. The study of internal waves dissipating nearshore, the slowing of currents in the coastal boundary layer, the breaking of waves on the shore, and the retention of waters in small coves and bays is understood within a broader view of nearshore ecology and environmental issues. Nearshore Oceanography focuses on addressing the coupling between the ocean and the shoreline (i.e., how material and energy are exchanged); with strong links to companion themes of upwelling and land runoff.
