Biography

Nathan Vinhateiro serves as Science Director of the Coastal Institute and is a Research Professor at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography. He provides scientific leadership across interdisciplinary coastal initiatives and represents the Institute in state, regional, and national forums. His work integrates coastal geomorphology, risk assessment, and visualization tools to support informed decision-making in the face of sea-level rise and increasing storm intensity.

Nathan has contributed to research examining coastal lagoons, shoreline processes, and the social and ecological implications of climate change in coastal systems. He has helped develop mapping and risk assessment platforms used by planners and municipalities to better understand vulnerability and adaptation options. He supports the Institute’s Senior Fellows network and fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration across URI.

He holds a PhD from URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography.

Current Initiatives

• Climate Response Demonstration Sites
• Shoreline Change and Adaptation Research