Travis N. Miles Ph.D.

Research

We combine autonomous ocean observations with numerical models to understand how the ocean shapes—and is shaped by—extreme weather, energy development and a changing climate.

Hurricanes & the Upper Ocean

How does the coastal and upper ocean respond to — and feed back on — tropical cyclones? We deploy underwater gliders ahead of storms from the Mid-Atlantic Bight to the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico to measure ahead-of-eye cooling, mixing, freshwater barrier layers and ocean heat content, and we use those data to evaluate and improve the ocean component of coupled hurricane forecast models.

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Selected publications

  • *Tsei, S., Howden, S., Diercks, A.-R., Zhang, J. A., Miles, T. N., Nyadjro, E., et al. (2025). Low Salinity, High Ocean Heat Content, and Warm Core Eddy Effects on the Upper Ocean Response During Hurricane Sally (2020): An Analysis of a Hurricane Glider Observations and Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Model. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 130, e2024JC021470. doi: 10.1029/2024JC021470
  • Feehan, C. J., Filbee-Dexter, K., Thomsen, M. S., Wernberg, T., and Miles, T. (2024). Ecosystem damage by increasing tropical cyclones. Commun Earth Environ 5, 674. doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01853-2
  • Aristizábal Vargas, M. F., Kim, H.-S., Le Hénaff, M., Miles, T., Glenn, S., & Goni, G.. Evaluation of the ocean component on different coupled hurricane forecasting models using upper-ocean metrics relevant to air-sea heat fluxes during Hurricane Dorian (2019) (2024). Frontiers in Earth Science, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1342390
  • Miles, T.N., *Coakley., S., Engdahl, J., Rudzin, J., Tsei, S., Glenn, S. Ocean mixing during Hurricane Ida (2021): The impact of a freshwater barrier layer, (2023) Special Issue of Frontiers in Marine Science The Impact of Oceans on Extreme Weather Events (Tropical Cyclones), https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1224609

Related projects

  • Accelerate Improvements in Hurricane Intensity Forecasting Through Underwater Glider Field Campaigns: Mid Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS) Hurricane Supplemental (NOAA IOOS, 2022–2025)
  • Glider based observations of upper ocean mixing under hurricanes (NOAA OAR, CINAR, 2023–2024)
  • Improving Forecasting of Hurricanes, Floods, and Wildfires (NOAA IOOS, 2020–2023)
  • Mid Atlantic Glides Supporting Hurricane Intensity Forecasts (NOAA IOOS, 2020–2022)

Offshore Wind & the Cold Pool

Coastal upwelling, sea breezes and the Mid-Atlantic Bight Cold Pool shape the winds that power offshore wind farms — and wind farm infrastructure may in turn alter ocean mixing. This work combines glider observations, satellite SST and coupled atmosphere–ocean modeling to improve offshore wind forecasts and to assess how wind energy development and the ocean interact.

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Selected publications

  • Pareja-Roman, LF, Engdahl J., Miles, T., McGarigal C., (2026) Ocean mixing from offshore wind farms: implications for the US Mid-Atlantic Bight cold pool. Frontiers in Marine Science, 13, 10.3389/fmars.2026.1804138
  • Gallagher, K., Baumgartner, M., Kohut, J., Miles, T., Flagg, C., McSweeney, J., Warren, J.D., Thorne, L. (2025). Passive acoustic monitoring of baleen whales using autonomous gliders in relation to offshore wind energy areas in the New York Bight. Endangered Species Research, 58, 257–273. doi: 10.3354/esr01452
  • *Ye, F., Miles, T., and Aziz Ezzat, A. (2025). Improved spatio-temporal offshore wind forecasting with coastal upwelling information. Applied Energy 380, 125010. doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.125010
  • Pareja-Roman, L. F., Miles, T., and Glenn, S. (2024). Coastal upwelling modulates winds and air-sea fluxes, impacting offshore wind energy. Front. Energy Res. 12, 1470712. doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2024.1470712

Related projects

  • AIRU-WRF: AI-powered Physics-based Tool for OSW Forecasting and Grid Integration (Department of Energy National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, 2023–2025)
  • An investigation of potential impacts of wind turbines and foundations on the Cold Pool (State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 2024–2025)
  • Targeted Stakeholder Engagement & Product Development using the RU-WRF Model Database (2023–2024)
  • Partners in Science, Operations & Maintenance of the RU-WRF Model, and Expanded Research in Support of Offshore Wind (2022–2023)

Caribbean & Gulf Circulation

Multi-year glider surveys through the Anegada Passage and eastern Caribbean track how water masses in the Caribbean through-flow — part of the upper limb of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation — are transported and transformed, while collaborative efforts in the Gulf of Mexico target observation and prediction of the Loop Current.

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Selected publications

  • Deng, Y., Wu, T., Gradone, J., Wilson, W.D., Miles, T.N., He, R., (2026) ENSO-Driven Modulation of the Caribbean Subsurface Salinity Maximum, Submitted to Nature Communications Earth & Environment, 10.31223/X5Q49Q (preprint)
  • *Gradone, J.C., Miles, T.N., Palter, J.B., Glenn, S.M., Wilson, W.D. (2025). Warming and salinity changes of the upper ocean Caribbean Through-Flow since 1960. Scientific Reports, 15, 23157. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-05494-z
  • *Gradone, J.C., Wilson, W.D., Glenn, S.M., Miles, T.N., 2023. Upper Ocean Transport in the Anegada Passage from Multi‐Year Glider Surveys. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jc019608
  • Wilson, W. D., S. Glenn, T. Miles, A. Knap, and C. Toro (2021), Transformative ocean observing for hurricane forecasting, readiness, and response in the caribbean tropical storm corridor, Mar. Technol. Soc. J., 55(3), 90–91, doi:10.4031/MTSJ.55.3.43.

Related projects

  • Collaborative Research: Caribbean through-flow water mass transformation processes (National Science Foundation, 2024–2027)
  • Improving Loop Current Ocean Observations and Prediction (National Academies of Science (NAS), 2022–2027)
  • Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Marine Mammal Stock Assessments using Gliders in the Caribbean: Filling a NMFS Operational Gap (NOAA OMAU UxS program, 2023–2025)

Glider Technology & Sensors

Developing new capabilities for autonomous underwater gliders: integrated LISST particle sensors, onboard processing of ADCP velocity profiles, deep ISFET-based pH sensors, passive acoustics, and adaptive sampling and path-planning strategies that let gliders sample where it matters most.

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Selected publications

  • *Hughes, C., Liu, Y., Lahrach, Y., Engdahl, J., Warren, H., Lee, D., Ramos, F., Miles, T., Abraham, I., (2026) Asymptotically Optimal Ergodic Coverage on Generalized Motion Fields (Preprint) https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.13442
  • Gallagher, K., Baumgartner, M., Kohut, J., Miles, T., Flagg, C., McSweeney, J., Warren, J.D., Thorne, L. (2025). Passive acoustic monitoring of baleen whales using autonomous gliders in relation to offshore wind energy areas in the New York Bight. Endangered Species Research, 58, 257–273. doi: 10.3354/esr01452
  • Beaird, N., Miller, M., Book, J., Edwards, C. R., Edwards, J., Gong, D., Lynch, S., Miles, T., Osborne, J., (2025). Subtropical Mode Water as an acoustic waveguide at the Gulf Stream. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 157, A95. doi: 10.1121/10.0037521
  • *Gentil, M., Estournel, C., Durrieu de Madron, X., Many, G., Miles, T., Marsaleix, P., et al. (2022). Sediment dynamics on the outer-shelf of the Gulf of Lions during a storm: An approach based on acoustic glider and numerical modeling. Continental Shelf Research, 240, 104721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2022.104721

Related projects

  • Robust Exploration via Multimodal Inference and Adaptive Ergodic Sampling (Office of Naval Research, 2025–2028)
  • Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Marine Mammal Stock Assessments using Gliders in the Caribbean: Filling a NMFS Operational Gap (NOAA OMAU UxS program, 2023–2025)
  • Assessing the impact of rapidly cycled Argo floats on operational ocean models (NOAA OAR, CINAR, 2022–2023)
  • Predictions of Acoustics with Smart Experimental Networks of Gliders (PASSENGERS) (Office of Naval Research, 2021–2024)

Coastal Ecosystems & Biogeochemistry

Collaborative work linking physical ocean processes to living systems — carbonate chemistry and chlorophyll variability on the Mid-Atlantic shelf, baleen whale monitoring with gliders, fisheries habitat, and coral reef communities in the wake of hurricanes.

All publications on this topic →

Selected publications

  • Gallagher, K., Baumgartner, M., Kohut, J., Miles, T., Flagg, C., McSweeney, J., Warren, J.D., Thorne, L. (2025). Passive acoustic monitoring of baleen whales using autonomous gliders in relation to offshore wind energy areas in the New York Bight. Endangered Species Research, 58, 257–273. doi: 10.3354/esr01452
  • Feehan, C. J., Filbee-Dexter, K., Thomsen, M. S., Wernberg, T., and Miles, T. (2024). Ecosystem damage by increasing tropical cyclones. Commun Earth Environ 5, 674. doi: 10.1038/s43247-024-01853-2
  • Friedland, K. D., Miles, T., Goode, A. G., Powell, E. N., & Brady, D. C. (2022). The Middle Atlantic Bight Cold Pool is warming and shrinking: Indices from in situ autumn seafloor temperatures. Fisheries Oceanography, 31(2), 217–223. https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12573
  • Friedland, K. D., R. E. Morse, J. P. Manning, D. C. Melrose, T. Miles, A. G. Goode, D. C. Brady, J. T. Kohut, and E. N. Powell (2020), Trends and change points in surface and bottom thermal environments of the US Northeast Continental Shelf Ecosystem, Fish. Oceanogr., 29(5), 396–414, doi:10.1111/fog.12485.

Related projects

  • Glider based ecological and oceanographic surveys of the New York Bight (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, 2023–2026)
  • Unlocking Wind-Whale Co-Existence Through Artificial Intelligence (New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, 2024–2026)
  • Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Marine Mammal Stock Assessments using Gliders in the Caribbean: Filling a NMFS Operational Gap (NOAA OMAU UxS program, 2023–2025)
  • White Paper on the Oceanographic Effects of Offshore Wind on North Atlantic Right Whale and Their Prey (American Clean Power Association, 2023–2024)

Polar Oceanography

Earlier work with the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research program and the Korea Polar Research Institute used gliders and shipboard surveys to study ice-shelf outflow, coastal mixing and phytoplankton distributions along the West Antarctic Peninsula and in the Amundsen Sea.

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Selected publications

  • Schofield, O. et al. (2017), Decadal variability in coastal phytoplankton community composition in a changing West Antarctic Peninsula, Deep Sea Res. Part I Oceanogr. Res. Pap., doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2017.04.014
  • Miles, T., Lee, S.H., Wahlin, A., Schofield, O., Ha, H.K., Assman, K., (2016) Observations of the Dotson Ice Shelf outflow, Deep Sea Research II doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2015.08.008
  • Schofield, O., Miles, T., Alderkamp, A.C., Lee, S.H., Haskins, C., Rogalsky, E., Sipler, R., Sherrell, R., Yager, P., (2015) In situ phytoplankton distributions in the Amundsen Sea polynya measured by autonomous gliders, Elementa,3:000073, doi:10.12952/journal.elementa.000073
  • Saba, G. K., Fraser, W. R., Saba, V. S., Iannuzzi, R. A., Coleman, K. E., Doney, S. C., Ducklow, H. W., Martinson, D. G., Miles, T. N., Patterson-Fraser, D. L., Stammerjohn, S. E., Steinberg, D. K., and Schofield, O. (2014) Winter and spring controls on the summer food web of the coastal West Antarctic Peninsula. Nature Communications. 5:4318 doi: 10.1038/ncomms5318