Daniel Harris

Daniel Harris is a Senior Lecturer in Geography at the School of the Environment, University of Queensland. He completed his PhD and undergraduate studies at the University of Sydney. Prior to his current role, he was a teacher and researcher at the University of Sydney and held a combined teaching and research position at the University of Bremen (MARUM) and the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT).

Harris's research specializes in coastal morphodynamics, investigating the interactions between physical processes such as waves, tides, and currents and the morphology of beaches and coral reefs. As leader of the BeachLab, he develops tools, gathers data, and provides analyses to support coastlines and coral reefs adapting to climate change. His projects tackle fundamental questions on how these systems change over time and include applied research for coastal and reef management, such as wave-driven sediment transport on tropical coasts, coral rubble dynamics, shoreline change mapping, and the impacts of reef decline and sea-level rise on tropical shorelines. Harris has secured grants including UQ Early Career Researcher funding, Australian Institute of Marine Science projects on Great Barrier Reef wave climates and rubble stabilization, and international collaborations like the Universities Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme.

Harris has produced over 45 journal articles and other scholarly outputs. Key publications include 'Coral reef structural complexity provides important coastal protection from waves under rising sea levels' (Science Advances, 2018), 'Predicting responses of geo-ecological carbonate reef systems to climate change: a conceptual model and review' (Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 2021), 'Benchmarking satellite-derived shoreline mapping algorithms' (Communications Earth & Environment, 2023), 'Mobilisation thresholds for coral rubble and consequences for windows of reef recovery' (Biogeosciences, 2023), 'Wave-driven sediment transport potential on a tropical coast: Implications for the northeastern Australian sediment budget' (Marine Geology, 2023), and 'Mapping reef island shoreline changes: a systematic review of data sources and methods' (Remote Sensing, 2025). His work advances understanding of coral reef evolution, coastal protection services, and management strategies amid environmental change.

Professional Email: daniel.harris@uq.edu.au