Project period: 5 6 24-5 5 25PROJECT title: numerical modeling of DARPA reefense TA-1 wave energy attenuation metrics at the hawaii and florida field sitesthe university of california, santa cruz…

The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) received a $161,400 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the USGS Research and Data Collection program (CFDA 15.808) to develop and test hydrodynamic models for evaluating the performance of hybrid green-grey reef structures in reducing wave energy and providing coastal defense. The project involves calibrating open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models using OpenFOAM, assessing the wave energy dissipation capabilities of the artificial reef structures against DARPA-issued metrics, and evaluating the environmental impacts across coastal sites in Hawaii and Florida. The expected outcomes include peer-reviewed reports on the performance of the hybrid reef structures, scientific publications, and synthesis reports to inform decision-makers, government agencies, and coastal communities.

Project period: 5 6 24-5 5 25PROJECT title: numerical modeling of DARPA reefense TA-1 wave energy attenuation metrics at the hawaii and florida field sitesthe university of california, santa cruz (ucsc) is collaborating with the U.S. Geological survey (USGS) to investigate the effectiveness of hybrid green-grey reef structures that mimic natural coral reefs to aid in both coastal defense and ecosystem support for tropical coastal environments. This project considers the optimization of artificial reef structures for both hydrodynamic performance and ecological benefits. Hydrodynamic performance assessments seek to understand the ability of the artificial structures to reduce wave energy, thereby decreasing the risk of waves and flooding to coastal ecosystems and property. This project includes the following activities: developing and calibrating hydrodynamic models using the open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model openfoam, assessing wave energy dissipation capabilities against DARPA-issued metrics, and evaluating environmental impacts across various coastal geographies. The results produced by the CFD model will also be leveraged to understand flows and turbulence near the structure which may have biological and ecological importance for coral grown on top of the artificial reef. The expected outcomes from this project include peer-reviewed reports on the performance of hybrid reef structures, followed by scientific publications and meeting synthesis reports. Intended beneficiaries include decision-makers, governmental agencies, and coastal communities.