Florida Tech Faculty Earns $88,000 Sebastian Inlet Grant

– Dr. Lee Harris, Florida Tech associate professor of ocean engineering, has received a
$88,000 grant from the Sebastian Inlet Tax District (SITD) to continue his work in operating a wave and weather data collection system at Sebastian Inlet.

“We have collected wave and weather data there since 1996,” he said, “and have been responsible for the design, installation, operation, maintenance, data
processing and reporting of data for the SITD.”

Harris and his research team collected wave data from an offshore, submerged wave gauge during hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. Because of Hurricane Frances,
however, the researchers lost their weather and tide gauge instrumentation from the north jetty in Sebastian Inlet State Park. It is now being replaced.

“The data we provide is used by the Sebastian Inlet Tax District to manage the inlet. The physical processes, especially the waves, water levels and wind,
drive the coastal processes and sand movement in the inlet area. Everything designed for the inlet must be able to withstand these forces,” said Harris.