Coupling ADCP and biogeochemical data for coastal resilience and ecosystem research

In coastal environments, internal waves, currents and nutrient transport can interact in ways that affect ecosystems and nearshore processes.

Using an ADCP, alongside biogeochemical observations, researchers are able to understand how those processes interact. At Moss Landing, California, Synchro did just this using our Sonardyne Origin 600 ADCP.

The challenge

Understanding how currents and waves move nutrients, shape ecosystems and influence nearshore processes is essential for coastal research and resilience planning.

Combining acoustic Doppler current profile (ADCP) measurements with biogeochemical observations gives researchers a clearer view of local ocean dynamics, including internal wave activity, temperature structure, nutrient transport and mixing.

At the head of Monterey Submarine Canyon, where strong semidiurnal tides and complex bathymetry influence local conditions, Synchro tested the ability to capture both current profiles and shorter-period surface wave activity from the same site and deployment.

To be useful, the system needed to deliver dependable, unattended measurements throughout the water column for more than a month, with data detailed enough to compare against temperature, nitrate and other environmental observations.

A Sonardyne Origin 600 ADCP was put to the test via the Synchro tech testbed, alongside long-term monitoring infrastructure at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories to assess its suitability for these applications.

The solution

Origin 600 is an ‘all-in-one’ ADCP with onboard data processing and remote communications capability.

This allows battery and storage checks, the opportunity to inspect and upload data, reconfigure schedules and run quality control, all while the ADCP is on the seabed, enabling users to make time-critical decisions with near real-time data delivery.

The Origin 600 ADCP was deployed on a bottom tripod close to the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories seawater intake, allowing current and wave observations to be gathered alongside established biogeochemical measurements.

The system was configured with multiple sampling schedules so that average current profiles could be measured every 30 minutes and surface wave characteristics every two hours, during the same 35-day deployment.

This removed the usual need to prioritise one process over another and enabled a broader view of site dynamics from a single instrument. Large onboard storage and high-fidelity data recording also gave the team flexibility in post-processing, helping them refine analysis after recovery, rather than being locked into every decision before deployment.

Profiling range

Operational depth rating

Ping rate on five beams

The results

Origin 600 demonstrated a simpler route to collecting richer coastal observations: one deployment, one instrument and one dataset capable of supporting both physical oceanography research and applied coastal monitoring needs.

The deployment successfully recorded data for the full 35-day period, providing a continuous view of current behaviour and surface wave conditions.

The dataset showed the resolution of the semidiurnal internal wave patterns, helping researchers better understand how nutrient-rich water is exchanged between the canyon and the continental shelf.

Currents ranged from 0–0.6 m/s, with stronger flows observed closer to the surface. Dominant flow directions were north–south.
Semidiurnal (twice-daily) oscillations were captured across current velocity, temperature and nitrate levels, confirming the influence of internal tides.
Temperature, nitrate concentration and current patterns showed strong coupling, demonstrating how internal waves drive nutrient transport.
Vertical current differences indicated shear, with low Richardson number values (<0.25) confirming conditions favourable for turbulence during warming phases.
The system captured wave heights of 1–2 m, with periods of 3–10 seconds and predominantly westerly directions.

The same deployment also captured surface wave data that could be compared with an operational nearshore wave model, showing value beyond the original scientific objective. This includes supporting work on sediment transport, erosion studies and coastal resilience planning in areas where complex seafloor topography makes local conditions difficult to predict.

Observed wave data aligned well with the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) Modeling and Prediction system (MOPS) model, demonstrating its reliability in this complex nearshore environment.

Explore the full analysis

Thank you to the Synchro team! For a deeper dive into the findings, read Synchro’s complete evaluation on their website here.

You can also join the Synchro show and tell webinar series with Sonardyne Origin ADCP.

Clock here to register for the 30-minute webinar featuring the testing they did with our Origin 600 ADCP.

Date: July 29, 17:00, GMT.

We thank Synchro’s testing partners and the technical and operations teams who conducted this research.

The Moss Landing Marine Labs seawater intake observations were supported by CeNCOOS under NOAA award #NA21NOS0120090.

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