The hydrodynamic regime at John Brewer Reef, Great Barrier Reef: Mooring CM1: Current Meters

Three Aanderaa RCM current meters and a S4 current meter were attached to mooring CM1, located north west of John Brewer Reef and in the free stream. The mooring was deployed in 42m of water and the four current meters were attached to the mooring to study changes in current velocity with depth.Deployment Details:Date Deployed: 31/3/1987Date Recovered: 25/8/1987Instruments Deployed:S4 #s620; Depth: 10mRCM #5239; Depth: 18mRCM #4326; Depth: 26mRCM #5278; Depth: 35m
The aim of this project was to collect field data to calibrate a numerical model for the combined tidal and wind-forced circulation at John Brewer Reef, and to apply those circulation patterns to calculate the trajectories, residence times and likelihood of outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish on areas of the reef.
The model boundary was defined by CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4, CM5 and CM13. However, the current meters attached to moorings CM5 (deployed 2/4/87) and CM13 (deployed 1/4/87) were not recovered. Mooring CM4 (deployed 2/4/87)drifted to the Whitsunday Islands. The current meter was badly fouled and the data were unusable.