Optimization in the Design of the PROARR Artificial Reef Module Through the Interaction Between the Hydrodynamic Models of Circulation in the Estuary and that of Food Delivery in the Vicinity of the Module

The Galician estuaries are coastal ecosystems that harbor a high biological productivity, which are subject to a progressive increase and intensification of uses, and therefore to greater anthropogenic pressure. The sustainable development of these areas that allows maintaining their environmental richness requires the implementation of different measures, with a growing interest in the installation of artificial reefs (ARs). The proper functioning of ARs is highly dependent on the characteristics of the coastal area where they are intended to be installed. In this way, to achieve the desired objectives it is necessary to identify the most suitable locations and configuration for its installation. In this sense, coastal hydrodynamics represents the most relevant determining factor for the operation of a set of ARs. In this work, advanced numerical modeling techniques are used to determine, on the one hand, the hydrodynamics of the coastal zone of interest, based on which—and together with other socioeconomic and environmental factors—the locations of greatest interest can be identified. Finally, the hydrodynamic characteristics in these locations are used to optimize the configuration of the AR through models that allow predicting the biological productivity in the near field.