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Research in the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Lab (EFD Lab; PI: G. Pawlak Tejada) addresses engineering and oceanographic fluid flow problems, with a focus on coastal ocean physics.  Our work examines the role of flow structure in turbulent mixing and mass transport in environmental flows at scales ranging from islands, headlands and continental shelves (kilometers) to coral reefs and kelp forests (meters) to wave boundary layers (centimeters). 

Research methods combine lab experiments and numerical modeling with field-based observations to address topics that span interaction of flow with biological systems, surface and internal waves, and air-sea and sediment/water-column exchange processes. 

Research directions also extend to development of ocean instrumentation, wave energy and autonomous vehicle technologies and applications and lab experimental methods.

New!: Moore Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship  on machine learning based ocean state estimation for aquaculture and mCDR applications 

Latest publications:

Walker, H., Tolley, M.T. and Pawlak, G., 2026. Modeling and validation of a small heave plate wave energy converter. Ocean Engineering, 349, p.124115.

Rogers, J.S., Tan, S., Davis, K.A., Pawlak, G. and Fringer, O.B., 2025. Climate‐driven stratification intensifies internal wave cooling on a shallow island reef. Geophysical Research Letters, 52(14), p.e2025GL115458.

Okun, K., Desai, A., Parnell, P.E., Masunaga, E., Lucas, A.J., Lerczak, J. and Pawlak, G., 2025. Semidiurnal inner shelf flow in the Southern California Bight. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 130(5), p.e2024JC021591.

Merrigan, S.R., Pawlak, G., Sinnett, G., Fu, K.H. and Davis, K.A., 2025. Relative phase between tidal and solar cycles influences the heating of a coral atoll lagoon. Limnology and Oceanography, 70(5), pp.1181-1195.

Wheeler, D.C., Giddings, S.N., Merrifield, M. and Pawlak, G., 2025. Infragravity frequency wave‐driven bottom boundary layer turbulence in shallow estuaries. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 130(3), p.e2024JC021284

Campos, O., Garcia De Herreros, A., Sánchez, A., Fineman, J.R. and Pawlak, G., 2025. A Multi-Chamber Pulsating-Flow Device with Optimized Spatial Shear Stress and Pressure for Endothelial-Cell Testing. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, pp.1-13.

For more information contact:

pawlak AT ucsd DOT edu

Geno Pawlak

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering / Scripps Institution of Oceanography

University of California San Diego

La Jolla, California 92093-0411

Phone: 858-534-2343