Steve Mitchell

Biography

I joined the University in 2010, having previously worked as a lecturer at the University of Brighton and London South Bank University. Before entering academia I worked in a civil engineering design office and was involved mainly in coastal defence work in the UK and overseas. I have experience of teaching civil engineering fluid mechanics and hydraulics at undergraduate and postgraduate level and course management for civil engineering, course administration and supervision/tutoring of students at BEng, MEng, MSc and PhD.

I am a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).

I have research experience of field work, data analysis and numerical modelling of civil engineering fluid mechanics and hydraulics, water quality and sediment transport processes, presenting at conferences and seminars worldwide, with many refereed outputs and successful research grant applications. Supervision of PhD students.

I have general civil engineering design and construction experience in the UK and overseas development work.

Research interests

I am an active researcher in estuarine sediment transport processes including advancing understanding of the turbidity maximum and temporal and spatial evolution of vertical salinity gradients. Current focus on processes that occur over individual tidal cycles (R. Kaipara, N Zealand) and seasonal and annual cycles (R. Thames, UK).

I am interested in tidal energy and associated structures, and their environmental impacts, using numerical modelling

I work as part of the environmental group at the University of Portsmouth where my work has involved advising on flow and sediment modelling of detention ponds.

I also have an interest in hydraulic structures including dam spillways where forthcoming research will address the problem of how to maximise energy loss for a given configuration of spillway and head.

Research outputs

2025

A stakeholder‑informed framework for the sustainable management of coastal lagoons in West Africa

Davies-Vollum, S., Puttick, S., Agyekhumene, A., Amolegbe, L., Aneyo, I., Boateng, I., Danby, A., Danso-Wiredu, E., Degbe, G., Doherty, F., Hemstock, S., Mitchell, S., Raha, D., Sohou, Z.

23 Jun 2025, In: Anthropocene Coasts. 8, 11p., 23

Research output: Article

2024

Physical characteristics of estuaries and coasts – A synthesis

Mitchell, S., Uncles, R. J., Monismith, S. G., Flemming, B. W., Hansom, J.

22 Mar 2024,

Research output: Chapter (peer-reviewed)

2022

Resilient lagoons? Climate change, sustainability and adaptation

Davies-Vollum, S., Puttick, S., Doherty, F., Agyekhumene, A., Aneyo, I., Appeaning-Addo, K., Boateng, I., Danby, A., Danso-Wiredu, E., Degbe, G., Hemstock, S., Mitchell, S., Raha, D., Sohou, Z.

6 Sep 2022, In: Geography. 107

Research output: Article