https://www.oceanexpert.org/expert/dissanayakes

ORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6931-9384

PhD

Research

Marine and Coastal Engineering

Under the project of “Inter-municipal Adaptation Plan for Climate Change of Algarve- AMAL”, I carried out a modelling study to predict the rocky and sandy coastline evolution of the coasts of Algarve (about 200 km), Portugal due to the impact of waves and the projected SLR during the 21st century. 

I was involved with coastal system modelling studies due to sea-level rise for my doctorate, for which I obtained a classification of “very good with highest distinction” from the University of Algarve, Portugal (2011/2016). My objectives were 1) to develop and implement a hybrid approach to simulate the morphological evolution of the Guadiana estuary (Spain/Portugal) and its intertidal zone for sea level rise and sedimentation scenarios predicted for the 21st century; and 2) to assess the impacts of natural and human forcings on saltmarshes to enable formulation of long-term management policies for the estuary. The hybrid model was scripted with MATLAB. It combines the dynamic rigour of process-based models and experience encapsulated in behaviour-oriented models. I like to incorporate a bio-geochemical model with this hybrid approach to improve its accuracy of predictions of morphological evolution in response to the above pressures. 

I also modelled the morphological evolution in the Guadiana estuary due to sea-level rise and fluvial sediment supply variations using behaviour-oriented (ESM) and process-based (MOHID) approaches from 2008 to 2011. 

Furthermore, I have participated in workshops in operational level forecasting of coastal hazards. For instance, at the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (Portugal), I studied the OPENCoastS operational forecasting system, which assembles on-demand circulation forecast systems for selected coastal areas by the user. This service generates daily forecasts of water levels and vertically averaged velocities over the region of interest for 48 hours, based on numerical simulations of the relevant physical processes.

North Atlantic Ocean

Numerical Modelling in MATLAB, ArcGIS, Primer V6 (STATISTIC SOFTWARE), Visual Basic, Microsoft office packages. AutoCAD, Linux server management, 

English

Google Scholar

http://www.cima.ualg.pt/cimaualg/index.php/en/

My research interests span several areas of geosciences and coastal zone management. They are: 1) modelling coastal hydrodynamics and morphodynamics, and their and long-term evolution due to sea-level rise, storm-surges and human activities; 2) Operational level forcasting of sea-level rise hazards; 3) assessment of impacts of morphological evolution in coastal systems, which consists of shoreface, beaches with dunes, back-barrier environments with lagoons and estuaries; and 4) wave interaction with beaches, particularly the wave run-up and overtopping over coastal defences like dunes and breakwaters.