Growing With the Flow: Interactions Between Exposure, Currents, and Intertidal Oyster Reef Growth

The objective of this study is to identify the optimal flow and exposure conditions conducive to reef growth by combining high spatial resolution mapping of decadal reef growth with weekly flow and water level measurements. We placed three to four tilt-current meters around three intertidal patch reefs in Back Sound, North Carolina and recorded the speed and heading for two-to-three-week deployment periods. Using observations from co-located water level loggers, we parsed velocities into rising and falling tides to determine tidal flow dependance. We produced three digital elevation models collected over ten years to quantify decadal reef growth patterns in relation to the flow velocities.