Marsh and Coral Hydrodynamics

Oral

1307 - Observations Of Canopy Flow Structure And Frictional Velocity Of Coral Colonies In Dongsha Atoll

Presenting Author(s)

• ZH

  Zhi-Cheng Huang, PhD

  Associate Professor
  National Central University

Additional Author #1(s)

• ZH

  Zhi-Cheng Huang, PhD

  Associate Professor
  National Central University

Additional Author #2(s)

• WH

  Wen-Yang Hsu

Additional Author #3(s)

• JY

  Jay Yang

We present field measurements of flow structure over coral colonies using acoustic Doppler velocimetry and pulse-coherent Doppler velocity profiler techniques. The field experiment was conducted in the northern channel of DongSha atoll located in the South China Sea. The measured current profiles and turbulence are used to study the flow dynamics in the canopy-layer created by coral colonies. The results highlight that the vertical flow structures of the canopy layer are more complex and a single layer of wall laws and a single hydraulic roughness may be not sufficient to represent the flow structure in coral reefs.