Validating Use of an ADCP to Characterize Flow Regimes of an Offshore Artificial Reef

Author

Annie Kay Zeiler, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Date of Award

12-1-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Ocean, Coastal, and Earth Sciences

First Advisor

Richard J. Kline

Second Advisor

Ethan Getz

Third Advisor

Erin Easton

Abstract

While artificial reefs are known to enhance habitat, little is known about how they alter current regimes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a Sontek Hydrosurveyor M9 acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) in measuring current velocities around complex artificial reef structures at the Rio Grande Valley Artificial Reef (RGV Reef). This reef provided diverse testing grounds with structures including concrete railroad tie piles and sunken ships. A 3D bathymetric map created with multibeam sonar was used to identify scouring and guide ADCP deployment. Side-scan sonar was used to assess fish abundance and distribution to support interpretation of current patterns. A custom Matlab script was created to process and analyze ADCP data for interpolations. Data from the ADCP was successfully used to visualize currents around structure in relation to scouring and fish aggregations and will guide future reef design to optimize ecological and fisheries benefits.

Comments

Copyright 2025 Annie K. Zeiler. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3292478757

Recommended Citation

Zeiler, A. K. (2025). Validating Use of an ADCP to Characterize Flow Regimes of an Offshore Artificial Reef [Master's thesis, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley]. ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/1845