Numerical modeling of the hydrodynamics of the Northeastern Corridor Reserve in Puerto Rico

To develop an appropriate management plan for the marine section of the Northeast Corridor Reserve (NECR) of Puerto Rico it is necessary to understand the hydrodynamic connectivity between the different regions within the NECR. The USACE CMS Flow model has been implemented for the NECR using very high resolution telescoping grids, with a special focus on the complex coral reef areas of the La Cordillera Reefs Natural Reserve, established by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico. To ensure correct application of boundary conditions and realistic representation of the tidal elevation within the NECR, water elevation model output data was compared with the Fajardo tide gauge; while the ocean current model output was compared with the depth-integrated observed currents at the CariCOOS Vieques Sound buoy. Comparison of model performance with buoy and tide gauge data has shown good agreement, however, further model tuning is necessary to optimize model performance. Further improvement of our models depends largely on obtaining more accurate boundary conditions as well as better wind forcing. We are currently implementing the USACE Particle Tracking Model (PTM) to characterize particle dispersion within the NECR. In the long-term, full 3D hydrodynamic models including riverine forcing hold the key to a complete understanding of larvae and sediment dispersion within the NECR.