CHRIS' COASTAL RESEARCH
What I Do
Nearshore hydrodynamics
Numerical wave modeling
Design of coastal flood defenses
Coastal flood risk reduction
Influence of nature-based features on coastal safety
ABOUT
Who I Am
My name is Christopher Harold Lashley. I was born and raised on the beautiful Caribbean island of Barbados. As an islander, the coast has always been an important aspect of my life, providing not only recreation but also vital services like fisheries, tourism and trade by sea. However, as a child I was also introduced to the threat of the sea by the local proverb, “de sea ain’t got nuh back door”, which warned beachgoers that the sea can be very dangerous. This awareness of both the advantages and dangers of living along the coast sparked my interest and commitment to ensuring coastal safety.
This passion led me to the Netherlands to pursue a Master’s in Coastal Engineering & Port Development at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (2017) and then a PhD in Hydraulic Engineering at Delft University of Technology (2021). My PhD research focused on the influence of shallow foreshores—such as marshes or mudflats—on coastal safety. The tools and methods developed during that research offer practical guidance for the design and assessment of coastal structures under very shallow conditions. Now as a Post-Doctoral researcher at the University of Delaware (UD), I use state-of-the-art numerical and empirical tools to estimate the likelihood of coastal flooding along varying sites in the U.S. during storms—with the ultimate goal of identifying a best practice at each location.
My research interests include: building with nature; disaster risk reduction; climate change adaptation; nearshore wave modelling; surf and swash zone processes; and the design of coastal structures. I also enjoy assisting and coaching graduate students, having sat on several graduation committees. With respect to teaching experience, I have previously developed and taught Project Management as a course for professional development.
Outside of the office, you can find me in the gym, playing basketball, woodworking or enjoying a good beer. If you share similar research (or non-research) related interests, feel free to come by my office or send me a message. I’m always up for a chat over coffee or beer--be it in person or virtually.
Through hard work and dedication, I reached a milestone in my career when I graduated and became a professional Researcher in 2000. Since then, my research has progressed and evolved into new projects driven by the results of my experimentation. I invite you to take a look at my published work to get a better idea of the fruits of my research labor. Feel free to get in touch with me to say hi or for more information about my work.
MY RESEARCH
From Theory to Reality
EXTREME WAVE RUN-UP IN FRINGING REEF ENVIRONMENTS
July, 2018
Many islands are fronted by coral reefs which attenuate large waves during storms. However, wave breaking over the shallow reef results in low-frequency motions referred to as "infragravity waves" or "surfbeat", which then drive wave run-up and flooding. In this paper, we assess the ability of the XBeach numerical model to accurately represent this complex hydrodynamic process and estimate the maximum and 2% exceedance wave run-up under a range of forcing conditions.
CELL CULTURE
April 12, 2025
Building upon work done by a former lab colleague, I have developed a powerful tool for use in the identification and characterization of the processes in my model system. A major advantage of this development is its improved sensitivity, which allows it to detect subtle dynamic property changes in response to my experimental setup.
