His interest in sea level rise began there in the mid-1980’s, and he remains especially interested in the study of 20th century sea level rise. Professor Mitchum’s research focuses on the use of satellite and in situ data to study sea level variations and climate change. In addition, he also works on a wide variety of problems in the general area of ocean physics, including ocean eddies, the El Nino phenomenon, internal tides and various types of ocean waves. He also has a long-standing interest in the application of ocean physics to improve our understanding of fisheries.