Dr. Donoghue’s research interests include the geology and geomorphology of coastal environments and continental margins, the causes and effects of sea-level change, paleoclimate, and Quaternary geology and geochronology. He teaches courses on energy and climate, environmental geoscience, and coastal and marine geology. He has published more than 60 papers and a large number of technical reports, and has presented or co-authored more than 100 papers at professional meetings. His work has been funded by several government agencies, including the National Science Foundation, SERDP, NOAA, USGS, and various state of Florida agencies.
He and his colleagues and students are currently involved in a multi-year project modeling the long-term history and effects of major storms on coastal environments of the northern Gulf of Mexico and SE Atlantic coasts. The work has the goal of developing methods to prepare for and mitigate the projected environmental changes resulting from global warming.