Siddhesh Tirodkar, Ph.D.
Email: stirodkar@fau.edu
Mentor: Mingshun Jiang, Ph.D.
Affiliation: Florida Atlantic Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Siddhesh Tirodkar, Ph.D., is an experienced ocean modeler and postdoctoral fellow at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University. His research combines numerical ocean modeling with machine learning to study ocean circulation, mixing processes, and to develop oceanographic and meteorological forecasts. Dr. Tirodkar is currently focused on developing an ocean circulation model to simulate current systems in the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits—specifically targeting the Loop Current and the Florida Current. His work aims to improve model accuracy and extend its application to study the physical-biogeochemical dynamics associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs) in South Florida.
He earned his doctorate in physical oceanography from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, where his research emphasized numerical modeling of the Bay of Bengal. His work explored ocean turbulence energetics, regional ocean dynamics, and the sensitivity of vertical mixing schemes. Notably, his research identified an inverse energy-cascade mechanism in the southern Bay of Bengal, wherein turbulent eddy energy contributes to the formation of large-scale mean flow structures.
With over 12 years of research experience, Dr. Tirodkar has also worked on experimental fluid mechanics, machine learning applications in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) classification and mineral mapping, electronic circuit design, and weather sensor systems. He holds a patent for a hyper-local weather forecasting system and is particularly interested in developing accurate, operational water quality and HAB forecasting systems for South Florida by integrating numerical modeling with advanced machine learning techniques.