James Hench | Scholars@Duke

James Hench
Associate Professor of Oceanography

Research in my lab focuses on fluid dynamics in the coastal ocean and its effects on transport processes. We use field measurements, computational models, and theoretical analyses to understand fundamental physical processes in these systems. We also work extensively on interdisciplinary problems that have a significant physical component to better understand the effects of water motion on the geochemistry, biology, and ecology of shallow marine systems.

Much of our research is on coral reef hydrodynamics and our lab leads the Physical Oceanographic component of the Moorea Coral Reef LTER project

Current projects include: 1) wave-driven circulation and exchange in coral reef, lagoon, and pass systems; 2) extreme events and their effects on coral reef systems; 3) understanding the effects of rough bottoms such as corals on circulation and scalar mixing; 4) the impact of stratification on vertical mixing in a highly stratified wind-driven estuary; 5) larval transport around a coral reef island; 6) sponge excurrents; and 7) the effects of wave forcing on corallivory.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Associate Professor of Oceanography, Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment 2016
Assistant Professor, Earth and Climate Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment 2013
Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering 2018

Contact Information

135 Duke Marine Lab Rd, Beaufort, NC 28516
jim.hench@duke.edu (650) 759-6639
Hench Lab
Moorea Coral Reef LTER site

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 2002
- M.S., Stanford University 1992
- B.S., North Carolina State University 1991
Duke Appointment History
- Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering 2015 - 2018
- Assistant Professor of Oceanography, Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment 2009 - 2016
Recognition
In the News
- JUL 17, 2018 Pratt School of Engineering
  
  At Beaufort, the Ocean Is For Engineering Study, Too
- APR 6, 2015 BBC News
  
  Sailor rescued: How do you survive 66 days lost at sea?
Expertise
Global Scholarship
- Research
  - France (Country)
  - United States of America (Country)
Research
Selected Grants
- REU Site: Undergraduate Research in Estuarine and Coastal Marine Systems awarded by National Science Foundation 2021 - 2024
- Into uncharted waters: understanding and predicting water movement and fluxes over coral reef atolls of the future awarded by Tetiaroa Society 2016 - 2021
- Blue Waters Fellowship - University of Illinois - Walter Torres awarded by University of Illinois at Urbana--Champaign 2018 - 2019
- Collaborative Research: Relating Topographic Complexity and Circulation Patterns on Coral Reefs from Colony-Scale to Reef-Scale awarded by National Science Foundation 2014 - 2019
- Assessment of the Frequency and Duration of Hypoxic Events in the lower Neuse River Estuary from Real Time Continuous Measurements and Long Term Data Sets awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 2015 - 2017
- A SAFE vessel: Advancing research capabilities to the Gulf Stream awarded by National Science Foundation 2013 - 2014
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Grottoli, A. G., R. J. Toonen, R. van Woesik, R. Vega Thurber, M. E. Warner, R. H. McLachlan, J. T. Price, et al. “Increasing comparability among coral bleaching experiments.” Ecological Applications : A Publication of the Ecological Society of America 31, no. 4 (June 2021): e02262. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2262.
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  - Duvall, M. S., J. H. Rosman, and J. L. Hench. “Estimating Geometric Properties of Coral Reef Topography Using Obstacle- and Surface-Based Approaches.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 125, no. 6 (June 1, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015870.
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  - Duvall, M. S., J. L. Hench, and J. H. Rosman. “Collapsing Complexity: Quantifying Multiscale Properties of Reef Topography.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 124, no. 7 (January 1, 2019): 5021–38. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014859.
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  - Viehman, T. S., J. L. Hench, S. P. Griffin, A. Malhotra, K. Egan, and P. N. Halpin. “Understanding differential patterns in coral reef recovery: chronic hydrodynamic disturbance as a limiting mechanism for coral colonization.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 605 (October 26, 2018): 135–50. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps12714.
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  - Collin, A., C. Ramambason, Y. Pastol, E. Casella, A. Rovere, L. Thiault, B. Espiau, et al. “Very high resolution mapping of coral reef state using airborne bathymetric lidar surface-intensity and drone imagery.” International Journal of Remote Sensing 39, no. 17 (September 2, 2018): 5676–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2018.1500072.
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  - Edmunds, P. J., S. E. McIlroy, M. Adjeroud, P. Ang, J. L. Bergman, R. C. Carpenter, M. A. Coffroth, et al. “Critical information gaps impeding understanding of the role of larval connectivity among coral reef islands in an era of Global Change.” Frontiers in Marine Science 5, no. AUG (August 27, 2018). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00290.
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  - Safaie, Aryan, Nyssa J. Silbiger, Timothy R. McClanahan, Geno Pawlak, Daniel J. Barshis, James L. Hench, Justin S. Rogers, Gareth J. Williams, and Kristen A. Davis. “Author Correction: High frequency temperature variability reduces the risk of coral bleaching.” Nature Communications 9, no. 1 (June 5, 2018): 2244. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04741-4.
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  - Safaie, Aryan, Nyssa J. Silbiger, Timothy R. McClanahan, Geno Pawlak, Daniel J. Barshis, James L. Hench, Justin S. Rogers, Gareth J. Williams, and Kristen A. Davis. “High frequency temperature variability reduces the risk of coral bleaching.” Nature Communications 9, no. 1 (April 26, 2018): 1671. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04074-2.
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  - Collin, A., J. L. Hench, Y. Pastol, S. Planes, L. Thiault, R. J. Schmitt, S. J. Holbrook, N. Davies, and M. Troyer. “High resolution topobathymetry using a Pleiades-1 triplet: Moorea Island in 3D.” Remote Sensing of Environment 208 (April 1, 2018): 109–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.02.015.
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  - Yu, X., J. H. Rosman, and J. L. Hench. “Interaction of Waves with Idealized High-Relief Bottom Roughness.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 123, no. 4 (April 1, 2018): 3038–59. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JC013515.
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  - Sridharan, V. K., S. G. Monismith, D. A. Fong, and J. L. Hench. “One-dimensional particle tracking with streamline preserving junctions for flows in channel networks.” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering 144, no. 2 (February 1, 2018).
  - Herdman, L. M. M., J. L. Hench, O. Fringer, and S. G. Monismith. “Behavior of a wave-driven buoyant surface jet on a coral reef.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 122, no. 5 (May 1, 2017): 4088–4109. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JC011729.
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  - Casella, E., A. Collin, D. Harris, S. Ferse, S. Bejarano, V. Parravicini, J. L. Hench, and A. Rovere. “Mapping coral reefs using consumer-grade drones and structure from motion photogrammetry techniques.” Coral Reefs 36, no. 1 (March 1, 2017): 269–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-016-1522-0.
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  - Knee, K. L., E. D. Crook, J. L. Hench, J. J. Leichter, and A. Paytan. “Assessment of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) as a Source of Dissolved Radium and Nutrients to Moorea (French Polynesia) Coastal Waters.” Estuaries and Coasts 39, no. 6 (November 1, 2016): 1651–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-016-0108-y.
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  - Davies, Neil, Dawn Field, David Gavaghan, Sally J. Holbrook, Serge Planes, Matthias Troyer, Michael Bonsall, et al. “Simulating social-ecological systems: the Island Digital Ecosystem Avatars (IDEA) consortium.” Gigascience 5 (January 2016): 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13742-016-0118-5.
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  - Lenihan, H. S., J. L. Hench, S. J. Holbrook, R. J. Schmitt, and M. Potoski. “Hydrodynamics influence coral performance through simultaneous direct and indirect effects.” Ecology 96, no. 6 (June 1, 2015): 1540–49. https://doi.org/10.1890/14-1115.1.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Herdman, L. M. M., J. L. Hench, and S. G. Monismith. “Heat balances and thermally driven lagoon-ocean exchangeson a tropical coral reef system (Moorea, French Polynesia).” Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans 120, no. 2 (February 25, 2015): 1233–52. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010145.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Leichter, James, Alice Alldredge, Giacomo Bernardi, Andrew Brooks, Craig Carlson, Robert Carpenter, Peter Edmunds, et al. “Biological and physical interactions on a tropical island coral reef: Transport and retention processes on Moorea, French Polynesia.” Oceanography 26, no. 3 (September 1, 2013): 52–63. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.45.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Monismith, S. G., L. M. M. Herdman, S. Ahmerkamp, and J. L. Hench. “Wave transformation and wave-driven flow across a steep coral reef.” Journal of Physical Oceanography 43, no. 7 (August 14, 2013): 1356–79. https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-12-0164.1.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Hench, J. L., and J. H. Rosman. “Observations of spatial flow patterns at the coral colony scale on a shallow reef flat.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 118, no. 3 (March 1, 2013): 1142–56. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20105.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Collin, Antoine, and James L. Hench. “Towards deeper measurements of tropical reefscape structure using the WorldView-2 spaceborne sensor.” Remote Sensing 4, no. 12 (May 16, 2012): 1425–47. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs4051425.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Wong, S. H. C., A. E. Santoro, N. J. Nidzieko, J. L. Hench, and A. B. Boehm. “Coupled physical, chemical, and microbiological measurements suggest a connection between internal waves and surf zone water quality in the Southern California Bight.” Continental Shelf Research 34 (February 15, 2012): 64–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2011.12.005.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Leichter, J. J., M. D. Stokes, J. L. Hench, J. Witting, and L. Washburn. “The island-scale internal wave climate of Moorea, French Polynesia.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 117, no. 6 (January 1, 2012). https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JC007949.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Rosman, J. H., and J. L. Hench. “A framework for understanding drag parameterizations for coral reefs.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 116, no. 8 (January 1, 2011). https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006892.
    Full Text
  - Monismith, S. G., K. A. Davis, G. G. Shellenbarger, J. L. Hench, N. J. Nidzieko, A. E. Santoro, M. A. Reidenbach, et al. “Flow effects on benthic grazing on phytoplankton by a Caribbean reef.” Limnology and Oceanography 55, no. 5 (September 1, 2010): 1881–92. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2010.55.5.1881.
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  - Hench, J. L., and J. H. Rosman. “Analysis of bottom-track and compass error in a self-contained acoustic doppler diver navigation console.” Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 27, no. 7 (July 1, 2010): 1229–38. https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JTECHO749.1.
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  - Nidzieko, N. J., J. L. Hench, and S. G. Monismith. “Lateral circulation in well-mixed and stratified estuarine flows with curvature.” Journal of Physical Oceanography 39, no. 4 (July 14, 2009): 831–51. https://doi.org/10.1175/2008JPO4017.1.
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  - Monismith, S. G., J. L. Hench, D. A. Fong, N. J. Nidzieko, W. E. Fleenor, L. P. Doyle, and S. G. Schladow. “Thermal variability in a tidal river.” Estuaries and Coasts 32, no. 1 (January 1, 2009): 100–110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-008-9109-9.
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  - Lenihan, H. S., M. Adjeroud, M. J. Kotchen, J. L. Hench, and T. Nakamura. “Reef structure regulates small-scale spatial variation in coral bleaching.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 370 (October 28, 2008): 127–41. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07622.
    Full Text
  - Davis, K. A., J. J. Leichter, J. L. Hench, and S. G. Monismith. “Effects of western boundary current dynamics on the internal wave field of the Southeast Florida shelf.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 113, no. 9 (September 8, 2008). https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JC004699.
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  - Rosman, J. H., J. L. Hench, J. R. Koseff, and S. G. Monismith. “Extracting Reynolds stresses from acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements in wave-dominated environments.” Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 25, no. 2 (February 1, 2008): 286–306. https://doi.org/10.1175/2007JTECHO525.1.
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  - Hench, J. L., J. J. Leichter, and S. G. Monismith. “Episodic circulation and exchange in a wave-driven coral reef and lagoon system.” Limnology and Oceanography 53, no. 6 (January 1, 2008): 2681–94. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2008.53.6.2681.
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  - Lenihan, H. S., M. Adjeroud, M. J. Kotchen, J. L. Hench, and T. Nakamura. “How reef structure regulates small-scale spatial variation in coral bleaching.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 370 (2008): 127–41.
  - Nidzieko, N. J., D. A. Fong, and J. L. Hench. “Comparison of Reynolds stress estimates derived from standard and fast-ping ADCPs.” Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 23, no. 6 (June 1, 2006): 854–61. https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH1885.1.
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  - Carr, S. D., J. L. Hench, R. A. Luettich, R. B. Forward, and R. A. Tankersley. “Spatial patterns in the ovigerous Callinectes sapidus spawning migration: Results from a coupled behavioral-physical model.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 294 (June 9, 2005): 213–26. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps294213.
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  - Carr, S. D., R. A. Tankersley, J. L. Hench, R. B. Forward, and R. A. Luettich. “Movement patterns and trajectories of ovigerous blue crabs Callinectes sapidus during the spawning migration.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 60, no. 4 (August 1, 2004): 567–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2004.02.012.
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  - Hench, J. L., R. B. Forward, S. D. Carr, D. Rittschof, and R. A. Luettich. “Testing a selective tidal-stream transport model: Observations of female blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) vertical migration during the spawning season.” Limnology and Oceanography 49, no. 5 (January 1, 2004): 1857–70. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2004.49.5.1857.
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  - Brix, H., J. L. Hench, H. L. Johnson, T. M. S. Johnston, J. A. Polton, M. Roughan, and P. Testor. “An international perspective on graduate education in Physical Oceanography.” Oceanography 16, no. SPL.ISS. 3 (December 1, 2003): 128–33. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2003.43.
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  - Brix, H., J. L. Hench, H. L. Johnson, T. M. S. Johnston, J. Polton, M. Roughan, and P. Testor. “An international perspective on graduate education in physical oceanography.” Oceanography 16, no. 3 (2003): 128–33.
  - Hench, J. L., and R. A. L. Jr. “Transient tidal circulation and momentum balances at a shallow inlet.” Journal of Physical Oceanography 33, no. 4 (2003): 913–32. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(2003)33<913:TTCAMB>2.0.CO;2.
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  - Hench, J. L., B. O. Blanton, and R. A. Luettich. “Lateral dynamic analysis and classification of barotropic tidal inlets.” Continental Shelf Research 22, no. 18–19 (December 1, 2002): 2615–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0278-4343(02)00117-6.
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  - Hench, J. L., B. O. Blanton, and R. A. Luettich Jr. “Lateral dynamic analysis and classification of barotropic tidal inlets.” Continental Shelf Research 22, no. 18/19 (2002): 2615–31.
  - Moisander, P. H., J. L. Hench, K. Kononen, and H. W. Paerl. “Small-scale shear effects on heterocystous cyanobacteria.” Limnology and Oceanography 47, no. 1 (January 1, 2002): 108–19. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2002.47.1.0108.
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  - Hench, J. L., R. A. Luettich, and J. T. Bircher. “A portable retractable ADCP boom-mount for small boats.” Estuaries 23, no. 3 (January 1, 2000): 392–99. https://doi.org/10.2307/1353331.
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  - Hench, J. L., and R. A. Luettich. “Tidal inlet circulation: observations, model skill and momentum balances.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Estuarine and Coastal Modeling, January 1, 2000, 811–26.
  - Blanton, J. O., J. Amft, R. A. Luettich, J. L. Hench, and J. H. Churchill. “Tidal and subtidal fluctuations in temperature, salinity and pressure for the winter 1996 larval ingress experiment - Beaufort Inlet, NC.” Fisheries Oceanography 8, no. SUPPL. 2 (December 1, 1999): 134–52. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2419.1999.00027.x.
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  - Churchill, J. H., R. B. Forward, R. A. Luettich, J. L. Hench, W. F. Hettler, L. B. Crowder, and J. O. Blanton. “Circulation and larval fish transport within a tidally dominated estuary.” Fisheries Oceanography 8, no. SUPPL. 2 (December 1, 1999): 173–89. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2419.1999.00025.x.
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  - Luettich, R. A., J. L. Hench, C. W. Fulcher, F. E. Werner, B. O. Blanton, and J. H. Churchill. “Barotropic tidal and wind-driven larval transport in the vicinity of a barrier island inlet.” Fisheries Oceanography 8, no. SUPPL. 2 (December 1, 1999): 190–209. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2419.1999.00030.x.
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  - Churchill, J. H., J. O. Blanton, J. L. Hench, R. A. Luettich, and F. E. Werner. “Flood tide circulation near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina: Implications for larval recruitment.” Estuaries 22, no. 4 (January 1, 1999): 1057–70. https://doi.org/10.2307/1353083.
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  - Hench, J. L., and R. A. Luettich. “Analysis and application of Eulerian finite element methods for the transport equation.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Estuarine and Coastal Modeling, December 1, 1997, 138–52.
  - Luettich, R. A., J. L. Hench, C. D. Williams, B. O. Blanton, and F. E. Wemer. “Tidal circulation and larval transport through a Barrier Island inlet.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Estuarine and Coastal Modeling, December 1, 1997, 849–63.
- Conference Papers
  - Yu, X., J. H. Rosman, and J. L. Hench. “Interactions of waves with idealized high-relief bottom roughness.” In Proceedings of the Coastal Engineering Conference, Vol. 36, 2018.
  - Guo, T., A. Capra, M. Troyer, A. Gruen, A. J. Brooks, J. L. Hench, R. J. Schmitt, S. J. Holbrook, and M. Dubbini. “Accuracy assessment of underwater photogrammetric three dimensional modelling for coral reefs.” In International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences Isprs Archives, 41:821–28, 2016. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsarchives-XLI-B5-821-2016.
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Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

In the News

Global Scholarship

Research

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Conference Papers

Recent Courses