RT Journal Article
T1 Artificial reef site-specific design under upwelling favourable winds: Ría de Ares-Betanzos (NW Iberian Peninsula)
A1 Carballo Sánchez, Rodrigo
A1 López Moreira, Iván
A1 Fouz, David Mateo
A1 Lamas Galdo, María Isabel
A1 Carral Couce, Luis
K1 Artificial reef design
K1 Estuaries
K1 Galician rías
K1 Wind-induced circulation
K1 Numerical modelling
AB The placement of artificial reefs on the seafloor alters the water velocity field, promoting proper nutrient circulation and thus improving the richness of ecosystems. This nutrient circulation is closely related to water currents, which in turn can be driven or influenced by wind action. The present work addresses the influence of the wind-driven circulation on the site-specific design of artificial reefs in the Ares-Betanzos estuary (NW Iberian Peninsula). To this end, a shallow water hydrodynamic circulation model is developed to compute the circulation induced by the wind, acting in conjunction with the other relevant forcings, namely the tide, river discharges, and its mixing with shelf waters. Particular attention is paid to average and intense wind-favourable upwelling conditions. The resulting velocity design parameters are used as input for near-field hydrodynamic analysis through computational fluid dynamics modelling around the artificial reef, and assess its proper design. It is found that the influence of wind action on the artificial reef design obtained for average conditions in absence of winds is limited. However, at certain locations, it is shown that wind action may induce sufficient hydrodynamic changes to require its consideration.
PB Elsevier
SN 0272-7714
YR 2025
FD 2025-07-15
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/43039
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/43039
LA eng
NO Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science Volume 318, 15 July 2025, 109225
NO This research was funded by Xunta de Galicia under the grant CN-10MMA003CT. This study was also funded through the collaboration agreement INV07520 between Xunta de Galicia, Universidade da Coruña, and the Universidade da Coruña Foundation (FUAC) to give continuity to the previous project.
DS Minerva
RD 22 abr 2026