Investigating terrain changes around two artificial reefs by using the multibeam echosounder (western Adriatic Sea, Italy)

Abstract

During the last thirty years, fourteen artificial reefs were built-up along the western Adriatic coast at a depth ranging from 11 to 15 meters. In the present work the artificial structures of Senigallia and Portonovo were considered after about sixteen years from their construction to observe how they altered in the time, as well as the effects on sea-bottom morphology due to the whole reef and on terrain changes around individual reef units.