https://www.ocanasilva.com/home daily 1.0 2026-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/cbac2f58-63d9-489f-8d42-23343433421e/tuvalu_1.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/d1b65bbc-758e-4145-8884-99cc72b36f21/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/ec0827f9-1ae4-405f-ad7d-040f8ed539de/pittwater.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1634627611597-DQX7HTTMOJO9IIVJEVDE/97969706_2947826675294754_9071073407071682560_o.jpg Home - Dr Ana Paula da Silva Postdoctoral Research Associate in Coastal Oceanography at University of Sydney I am an oceanographer working to better understand how the interactions between hydrodynamics, geomorphology, and climate variability shape tropical and temperate coastal systems across multiple spatial and temporal scales. My research focuses on wave climate variability, tropical cyclone impacts, sediment transport, coastal morphodynamics, and climate adaptation in vulnerable coastal systems. https://www.ocanasilva.com/about daily 0.75 2026-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1635220398672-VREHXY17XN6ZHKZ0YRYR/20200109_132651.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1635221018315-1FJOUP0TK4CI8DSKI3R0/byron.png About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1635162970129-AVSVUTF3ZOGIV0AXSV9J/Map_20100514.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1635162445560-DQU3WYHPA7VAAGTHUR35/Stage12.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1635162051463-36W3ZK1890SKSH0BHKBC/20190228_103619.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1635161520842-S6XM6UJWKLN56WRJ9AR0/squeme_v2.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1635161106851-DGMF6XOTUYIMZN5H6F16/Pin.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1635159488224-OKDHDX86XSQW7FIS38IO/247932_136018526475597_2374348_n.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/3da54893-771f-49c4-bf19-442fd870ed6c/tuvalu-2.jpeg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/f2f0b9b9-e310-4e14-a368-d25bcf2323a1/PA220038.JPG About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/c645aaac-25a7-44ec-9848-5888fa88182a/EFM-Posi-Planting-4.webp About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/015f1506-27b7-461a-90ee-6f0d700994ae/EElhiBCW4AIgi8i.jpg About - Honors and Awards 2022 The Emeritus Professor Bruce Tom AM Student Research Award Award for an enrolled student whose academic study promises to positively contribute to coastal management. 2020 People’s Choice Award Award for the best presentation of the session “Sediment Transport and Coastal Processes” at the 1st Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference in Australia. 2019 Women in Coastal Geoscience and Engineering Award Award for the best conference paper to a lead-female author at the Australiasian Coasts and Ports 2019 Conference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/4f13d663-b256-4dc2-9a88-6773c9b4cdf8/2.png About - Women in Coastal Science and Engineering I was introduced to WICGE in 2019 during my first conference in Australia. Since 2022, I have been actively involved in the mentoring program, both as a mentee and mentor. In 2024, I joined the executive committee, and I am proud to be part of an organisation that connects and supports a global network of more than 700 members. WICGE’s mission is to inspire, support, and empower women at all career stages through mentoring, networking, and advocacy for greater representation, inclusivity, and equal opportunities within the geosciences and engineering communities. https://www.ocanasilva.com/teaching-outreach daily 0.75 2026-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1778391437484-8XDQL0CDRH0SAKE8XECP/MARS3888-MARS5007.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture on how to conceptualize and prepare a predictive model for coral reef eco-morphodynamics. Delivered to University of Sydney Undergraduate (3rd Yr) MARS3888 Interdisciplinary Project with Data Science and Masters in Marine Science Program MARS5007 Coral Reefs and Climate Change. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/45427f50-d2c8-47ea-bea4-068215546c0c/skype-sci1.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture about “Weathering and Erosion” - particularly beach erosion - to Grade 6 and 7 students from Billabong High International School, Andheri (Mumbai, India). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/f5a61cf3-c64d-4c21-a834-6e7de4d0e2bd/SIMS-TAMS.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture on longshore sediment transport with compartment connectivity via headland bypassing, and coastal management. Delivered to University of Sydney Masters Unit SIMS-Topics in Marine Science. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/74310761-c23f-428c-b3e7-d6fe137963e5/skype-sci2.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture about “The Beach” to kindergarten (5-6 years old) from Billabong High International School, Andheri (Mumbai, India). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/494e527b-2f87-48d0-9c62-444464530435/GEOS2115_waves.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture on fundamentals of waves and tides. Delivered to University of Sydney Undergraduate (2d Yr) GEOS2115/2915 Oceans, Coast and Climate Change. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/ba8a0e7f-c708-46fd-8c68-7c16a0012172/skype-sci3.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture about “Climate Change” to high school students from Bronx High School for Writing & Communication Arts (New York, USA). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/a3230528-7d42-4c56-80f6-c828021f1f98/GEOS2115_estuaries.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture on fundamentals of estuaries evolution, classification and dynamics. Delivered to University of Sydney Undergraduate (2d Yr) GEOS2115/2915 Oceans, Coast and Climate Change. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/3c218573-68a3-458a-91de-748aa3a400ca/skype-sci4.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture about “Women in STEM” to high school students from BBIS Berlin Brandenburg International School GmbH (Germany) in a virtual presentation on 9th February 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/dfa1ccd5-bf85-42fd-9d98-099e7ff468f0/GEOS2115_sed-transp.png Teaching & Outreach Lecture on fundamentals of coastal sediment transport. Delivered to University of Sydney Undergraduate (2d Yr) GEOS2115/2915 Oceans, Coast and Climate Change. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/61a22563-856f-4ff0-bbe8-8d023c8f95a2/byron.png Teaching & Outreach https://www.ocanasilva.com/research-and-publications daily 0.75 2026-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/8d69641e-126e-46ca-b2bc-15e20b7d44d3/fingal_model.png Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/cdfd9f10-d4f1-449b-92cf-f2bc331df5f3/Fig2.png Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/4d5b3488-e477-427a-b2f2-7b33efdfd29b/tuvalu-3.jpeg Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/ee54609e-dae4-4a89-9719-14e133f69ce6/DJI_20241125113750_0163_D.JPGcopy.JPG Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/81d459d4-8de9-4fa8-8fe0-b14ec31cdb99/Figure+3.png Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/cb7c1163-ee73-4283-bdf8-a49aa5a343b3/gcwa.png Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/e5b87110-f7e3-459c-a4ef-a3b7901920d4/urn_cambridge.org_id_binary_20251223125549708-0517_S275472052510019X_S275472052510019X_figAb.png Research - This research provided the first evidence that spurs and grooves on coral reefs can act as natural pathways for onshore coral rubble transport during high-energy events, highlighting their important role in sediment delivery and the long-term maintenance of reef islands and rubble-based ecosystems. Vila-Concejo, A.; Perris, L.A.; Silva, A.P.; Whitton, K.; Meoded-Stern, L.; Steilberg-Liu, W.Y.; Holmes, R.; Breuer, H.; Byrne, M.; Fellowes, T.E.; Salles, T.; Morris, B.D.; Bruce, E. (2025). Grooves in forereefs act as transport channels to deliver coral rubble during tropical cyclones. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures, 3, e29, 1–5 https://doi.org/10.1017/cft.2025.10019 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/0659f968-ccb5-4305-a297-01ca37de1480/le-quesne+paper.png Research - Using UAVs and high-resolution remote sensing, this research quantified how a low intensity cyclone reshaped coral rubble islands on the Southern GBR, revealing both erosion and storm-driven sediment redistribution that naturally reinforced parts of the shoreline. Le-Quesne, C.; Fellowes, T.E.; Talavera, L.; Silva, A.P.; Perris, L.; Deo, R.; Vila-Concejo, A. (2026). Short-term morphological response of rubble coral islands to the impact of a small tropical cyclone. Geomorphology, 503, 110296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2026.110296 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/5bfb98c9-451a-4fbc-9c55-2614b9706d5d/Graphical_abstract.png Research - This research demonstrated how atmospheric systems such as Tropical Cyclones and East Coast Lows control the timing and mechanisms of headland bypassing along Eastern Australia, revealing how storm-driven waves regulate sediment connectivity and long-term shoreline evolution along headland-bounded coasts. Silva, A.P.; Vieira da Silva, G.; Gomes da Silva, P.; Strauss, D., Tomlinson, R. (2025). Extreme storm events drive beach connectivity through headland bypassing. Science of the Total Environment, 971, 179076, p.1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179076 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1634799768058-EA7ALA8O4CPIA6WS63X0/Graphical_abstract1.jpg Research - This research combined topo-bathymetric surveys and remote sensing to show that headland bypassing can occur through multiple mechanisms and timescales around the same coastline, with storm-driven sandbars and sediment leakage processes strongly controlled by sand availability and large-scale climate drivers such as ENSO and PDO. Silva, A.P.; Vieira da Silva, G.; Strauss, D.; Murray, T.; Woortmann, L.G.; Taber, J.; Cartwright, N.; Tomlinson, R. (2021). Headland bypassing timescales: Processes and driving forces. Science of the Total Environment, 793, 148591, pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148591 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1634625827315-QEB888O9UFK9I510L9W7/LetitiaSpit_Jun1967-Jan20.png Research - This research investigated more than five decades of shoreline and nearshore evolution at Letitia Spit, Australia, revealing how coastal engineering interventions such as training walls and artificial sand bypassing systems can trigger morphodynamic adjustments that persist for decades before a new coastal equilibrium is reached. Silva, A.P.; Vieira da Silva, G.; Murray, T.; Strauss, D.; Tomlinson, R. (2021). Updrift morphological impacts of a coastal protection strategy. How far and for how long? Marine Geology, 441, 106625, pp.1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2021.106625 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616e46be95b52605b058d7f0/1634626735110-TWP4KOK42SQ3DTIFVGDH/Fig4.png Research - This research reconstructed 3,000 years of South Atlantic wave climate variability using preserved beach-foredune ridges, revealing that long-term shifts in predominant wave direction were strongly controlled by large-scale climate drivers such as the Southern Annular Mode and atmospheric temperature-driven teleconnections. Silva, A.P.; Klein, A.H.F.; Fetter Filho, A.F.H.; Hein, C.J.; Mendez, F.J.; Broggio, M.; Dalinghaus, C. (2020). Climate-Induced Variability in South Atlantic Wave Direction over Past Three Millennia. Nature Scientific Reports, 10, pp.1-2, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-75265-5