Coral Reef Shoreline Protection

CoPI: Dr. Andre Amador and Dr. Travis Courtney

MOU Collaboration with Dr. Legna Torres and Dr. Lauren Toth at USGS

Funded by United States Geological Survey

This project aims to quantify how wave attenuation and shoreline protection are impacted by coral reef restoration. We will be deploying current meters and pressure sensors across a transect with active coral reef restoration and a non-restored area in Cayo El Palo to quantify the effects of coral reef restoration on seawater hydrodynamics, wave attenuation, and shoreline protection. We will also perform large area surveys of the surrounding coral reef bathymetry using a personal water craft to improve modeling efforts led by Drs. Amador and Torres.