James Hench

Education

• B.S. North Carolina State University, 1991
• M.S. Stanford University, 1992
• Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2002

Positions

• Associate Professor of Oceanography
• Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Courses Taught

• MARSCI 476A: Data and Time Series Analysis in Marine Sciences
• MARSCI 204A: Integrative Oceanography
• MARSCI 204: Integrative Oceanography
• ENVIRON 886A: Current Topics in Marine Conservation
• ENVIRON 886: Current Topics in Marine Conservation
• ENVIRON 876A: Data and Time Series Analysis in Marine Sciences
• ENVIRON 476A: Data and Time Series Analysis in Marine Sciences
• ECS 393: Research Independent Study

Publications

• Torres WI, Holstein DM, Putnam HM, Edmunds PJ, Puritz JB, Toonen RJ, et al. Post-disturbance recovery dynamics of connected coral subpopulations (Accepted). Theoretical Ecology. 2025 Dec 1;18(1).
• Torres WI, Hench JL. Curvature Dynamics of a Coastal Barotropic Outflow Jet on a Slope. Journal of Physical Oceanography. 2024 Sep 1;54(9):2041–56.
• Winslow EM, Speare KE, Adam TC, Burkepile DE, Hench JL, Lenihan HS. Corals survive severe bleaching event in refuges related to taxa, colony size, and water depth. Scientific reports. 2024 Apr;14(1):9006.
• Viehman TS, Reguero BG, Lenihan HS, Rosman JH, Storlazzi CD, Goergen EA, et al. Coral restoration for coastal resilience: Integrating ecology, hydrodynamics, and engineering at multiple scales. Ecosphere. 2023 May 1;14(5).
• Yu X, Rosman JH, Hench JL. Boundary layer dynamics and bottom friction in combined wave-current flows over large roughness elements. Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 2022 Jan 25;931.
• Grottoli AG, Toonen RJ, van Woesik R, Vega Thurber R, Warner ME, McLachlan RH, et al. Increasing comparability among coral bleaching experiments. Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America. 2021 Jun;31(4):e02262.
• Duvall MS, Rosman JH, Hench JL. Estimating Geometric Properties of Coral Reef Topography Using Obstacle- and Surface-Based Approaches. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2020 Jun 1;125(6).
• James AK, Washburn L, Gotschalk C, Maritorena S, Alldredge A, Nelson CE, et al. An Island Mass Effect Resolved Near Mo’orea, French Polynesia. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2020 Jan 30;7.
• Duvall MS, Hench JL, Rosman JH. Collapsing Complexity: Quantifying Multiscale Properties of Reef Topography. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2019 Jan 1;124(7):5021–38.
• Viehman TS, Hench JL, Griffin SP, Malhotra A, Egan K, Halpin PN. Understanding differential patterns in coral reef recovery: chronic hydrodynamic disturbance as a limiting mechanism for coral colonization. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2018 Oct 26;605:135–50.
• Collin A, Ramambason C, Pastol Y, Casella E, Rovere A, Thiault L, et al. Very high resolution mapping of coral reef state using airborne bathymetric lidar surface-intensity and drone imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing. 2018 Sep 2;39(17):5676–88.
• Edmunds PJ, McIlroy SE, Adjeroud M, Ang P, Bergman JL, Carpenter RC, 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. 2018 Aug 27;5(AUG).
• Safaie A, Silbiger NJ, McClanahan TR, Pawlak G, Barshis DJ, Hench JL, et al. Author Correction: High frequency temperature variability reduces the risk of coral bleaching. Nature communications. 2018 Jun;9(1):2244.
• Collin A, Hench JL, Pastol Y, Planes S, Thiault L, Schmitt RJ, et al. High resolution topobathymetry using a Pleiades-1 triplet: Moorea Island in 3D. Remote Sensing of Environment. 2018 Apr 1;208:109–19.
• Yu X, Rosman JH, Hench JL. Interaction of Waves with Idealized High-Relief Bottom Roughness. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2018 Apr 1;123(4):3038–59.
• Safaie A, Silbiger NJ, McClanahan TR, Pawlak G, Barshis DJ, Hench JL, et al. High frequency temperature variability reduces the risk of coral bleaching. Nature communications. 2018 Apr;9(1):1671.
• Sridharan VK, Monismith SG, Fong DA, Hench JL. One-dimensional particle tracking with streamline preserving junctions for flows in channel networks. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. 2018 Feb 1;144(2).
• Yu X, Rosman JH, Hench JL. Interactions of waves with idealized high-relief bottom roughness. In: Proceedings of the Coastal Engineering Conference. 2018.
• Herdman LMM, Hench JL, Fringer O, Monismith SG. Behavior of a wave-driven buoyant surface jet on a coral reef. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2017 May 1;122(5):4088–109.
• Casella E, Collin A, Harris D, Ferse S, Bejarano S, Parravicini V, et al. Mapping coral reefs using consumer-grade drones and structure from motion photogrammetry techniques. Coral Reefs. 2017 Mar 1;36(1):269–75.
• Knee KL, Crook ED, Hench JL, Leichter JJ, Paytan A. Assessment of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) as a Source of Dissolved Radium and Nutrients to Moorea (French Polynesia) Coastal Waters. Estuaries and Coasts. 2016 Nov 1;39(6):1651–68.
• Guo T, Capra A, Troyer M, Gruen A, Brooks AJ, Hench JL, et al. 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. 2016. p. 821–8.
• Davies N, Field D, Gavaghan D, Holbrook SJ, Planes S, Troyer M, et al. Simulating social-ecological systems: the Island Digital Ecosystem Avatars (IDEA) consortium. GigaScience. 2016 Jan;5:14.
• Lenihan HS, Hench JL, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Potoski M. Hydrodynamics influence coral performance through simultaneous direct and indirect effects. Ecology. 2015 Jun 1;96(6):1540–9.
• Herdman LMM, Hench JL, Monismith SG. Heat balances and thermally driven lagoon-ocean exchangeson a tropical coral reef system (Moorea, French Polynesia). Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2015 Feb 25;120(2):1233–52.
• Leichter J, Alldredge A, Bernardi G, Brooks A, Carlson C, Carpenter R, et al. Biological and physical interactions on a tropical island coral reef: Transport and retention processes on Moorea, French Polynesia. Oceanography. 2013 Sep 1;26(3):52–63.
• Monismith SG, Herdman LMM, Ahmerkamp S, Hench JL. Wave transformation and wave-driven flow across a steep coral reef. Journal of Physical Oceanography. 2013 Aug 14;43(7):1356–79.
• Hench JL, Rosman JH. Observations of spatial flow patterns at the coral colony scale on a shallow reef flat. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2013 Mar 1;118(3):1142–56.
• Collin A, Hench JL. Towards deeper measurements of tropical reefscape structure using the WorldView-2 spaceborne sensor. Remote Sensing. 2012 May 16;4(12):1425–47.
• Wong SHC, Santoro AE, Nidzieko NJ, Hench JL, Boehm AB. 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. 2012 Feb 15;34:64–78.
• Leichter JJ, Stokes MD, Hench JL, Witting J, Washburn L. The island-scale internal wave climate of Moorea, French Polynesia. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2012 Jan 1;117(6).
• Rosman JH, Hench JL. A framework for understanding drag parameterizations for coral reefs. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2011 Jan 1;116(8).
• Monismith SG, Davis KA, Shellenbarger GG, Hench JL, Nidzieko NJ, Santoro AE, et al. Flow effects on benthic grazing on phytoplankton by a Caribbean reef. Limnology and Oceanography. 2010 Sep 1;55(5):1881–92.
• Hench JL, Rosman JH. Analysis of bottom-track and compass error in a self-contained acoustic doppler diver navigation console. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. 2010 Jul 1;27(7):1229–38.
• Nidzieko NJ, Hench JL, Monismith SG. Lateral circulation in well-mixed and stratified estuarine flows with curvature. Journal of Physical Oceanography. 2009 Jul 14;39(4):831–51.
• Monismith SG, Hench JL, Fong DA, Nidzieko NJ, Fleenor WE, Doyle LP, et al. Thermal variability in a tidal river. Estuaries and Coasts. 2009 Jan 1;32(1):100–10.
• Lenihan HS, Adjeroud M, Kotchen MJ, Hench JL, Nakamura T. Reef structure regulates small-scale spatial variation in coral bleaching. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2008 Oct 28;370:127–41.
• Davis KA, Leichter JJ, Hench JL, Monismith SG. Effects of western boundary current dynamics on the internal wave field of the Southeast Florida shelf. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 2008 Sep 8;113(9).
• Rosman JH, Hench JL, Koseff JR, Monismith SG. Extracting Reynolds stresses from acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements in wave-dominated environments. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. 2008 Feb 1;25(2):286–306.
• Lenihan HS, Adjeroud M, Kotchen MJ, Hench JL, Nakamura T. How reef structure regulates small-scale spatial variation in coral bleaching. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2008;370:127–41.
• Hench JL, Leichter JJ, Monismith SG. Episodic circulation and exchange in a wave-driven coral reef and lagoon system. Limnology and Oceanography. 2008 Jan 1;53(6):2681–94.
• Nidzieko NJ, Fong DA, Hench JL. Comparison of Reynolds stress estimates derived from standard and fast-ping ADCPs. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. 2006 Jun 1;23(6):854–61.
• Carr SD, Hench JL, Luettich RA, Forward RB, Tankersley RA. Spatial patterns in the ovigerous Callinectes sapidus spawning migration: Results from a coupled behavioral-physical model. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2005 Jun 9;294:213–26.
• Carr SD, Tankersley RA, Hench JL, Forward RB, Luettich RA. Movement patterns and trajectories of ovigerous blue crabs Callinectes sapidus during the spawning migration. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2004 Aug 1;60(4):567–79.
• Hench JL, Forward RB, Carr SD, Rittschof D, Luettich RA. Testing a selective tidal-stream transport model: Observations of female blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) vertical migration during the spawning season. Limnology and Oceanography. 2004 Jan 1;49(5):1857–70.
• Brix H, Hench JL, Johnson HL, Johnston TMS, Polton JA, Roughan M, et al. An international perspective on graduate education in Physical Oceanography. Oceanography. 2003 Dec 1;16(SPL.ISS. 3):128–33.
• Hench JL, Jr RAL. Transient tidal circulation and momentum balances at a shallow inlet. Journal of Physical Oceanography. 2003;33(4):913–32.
• Brix H, Hench JL, Johnson HL, Johnston TMS, Polton J, Roughan M, et al. An international perspective on graduate education in physical oceanography. Oceanography. 2003;16(3):128–33.
• Hench JL, Blanton BO, Luettich RA. Lateral dynamic analysis and classification of barotropic tidal inlets. Continental Shelf Research. 2002 Dec 1;22(18–19):2615–31.
• Hench JL, Blanton BO, Luettich Jr RA. Lateral dynamic analysis and classification of barotropic tidal inlets. Continental Shelf Research. 2002;22(18/19):2615–31.
• Moisander PH, Hench JL, Kononen K, Paerl HW. Small-scale shear effects on heterocystous cyanobacteria. Limnology and Oceanography. 2002 Jan 1;47(1):108–19.
• Hench JL, Luettich RA. Tidal inlet circulation: observations, model skill and momentum balances. Proceedings of the International Conference on Estuarine and Coastal Modeling. 2000 Jan 1;811–26.
• Hench JL, Luettich RA, Bircher JT. A portable retractable ADCP boom-mount for small boats. Estuaries. 2000 Jan 1;23(3):392–9.
• Churchill JH, Forward RB, Luettich RA, Hench JL, Hettler WF, Crowder LB, et al. Circulation and larval fish transport within a tidally dominated estuary. Fisheries Oceanography. 1999 Dec 1;8(SUPPL. 2):173–89.
• Luettich RA, Hench JL, Fulcher CW, Werner FE, Blanton BO, Churchill JH. Barotropic tidal and wind-driven larval transport in the vicinity of a barrier island inlet. Fisheries Oceanography. 1999 Dec 1;8(SUPPL. 2):190–209.
• Blanton JO, Amft J, Luettich RA, Hench JL, Churchill JH. Tidal and subtidal fluctuations in temperature, salinity and pressure for the winter 1996 larval ingress experiment - Beaufort Inlet, NC. Fisheries Oceanography. 1999 Dec 1;8(SUPPL. 2):134–52.
• Churchill JH, Blanton JO, Hench JL, Luettich RA, Werner FE. Flood tide circulation near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina: Implications for larval recruitment. Estuaries. 1999 Jan 1;22(4):1057–70.
• Luettich RA, Hench JL, Williams CD, Blanton BO, Wemer FE. Tidal circulation and larval transport through a Barrier Island inlet. Proceedings of the International Conference on Estuarine and Coastal Modeling. 1997 Dec 1;849–63.
• Hench JL, Luettich RA. Analysis and application of Eulerian finite element methods for the transport equation. Proceedings of the International Conference on Estuarine and Coastal Modeling. 1997 Dec 1;138–52.
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