Applying Unoccupied Aircraft Systems to Study Human Behavior in Marine Science and Conservation Programs

Nowlin, Michelle B.; Roady, Stephen E.; Newton, Everette; Johnston, David W.

doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00567

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Drone use is are often regulated under civil aviation authorities with laws in place to minimise the potential impact to the public, manned aircraft, and aviation space. Privacy and security issues are often discussed in association with drone use, and a good understanding of local legislative requirements is necessary to conduct drone research in a way that will not hinder future projects [168]. Inappropriate flight practices from scientists are likely to have long-term negative impacts on the field, so we underline the need for scientists using drones to follow local best-practice and legislation as much as possible.…”

Section: Legislationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Operational Protocols for the Use of Drones in Marine Animal Research

Raoult

Colefax²,

Allan

et al. 2020

Drones

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The use of drones to study marine animals shows promise for the examination of numerous aspects of their ecology, behaviour, health and movement patterns. However, the responses of some marine phyla to the presence of drones varies broadly, as do the general operational protocols used to study them. Inconsistent methodological approaches could lead to difficulties comparing studies and can call into question the repeatability of research. This review draws on current literature and researchers with a wealth of practical experience to outline the idiosyncrasies of studying various marine taxa with drones. We also outline current best practice for drone operation in marine environments based on the literature and our practical experience in the field. The protocols outlined herein will be of use to researchers interested in incorporating drones as a tool into their research on marine animals and will help form consistent approaches for drone-based studies in the future.

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Section: Legislationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Operational Protocols for the Use of Drones in Marine Animal Research

Raoult

Colefax²,

Allan

et al. 2020

Drones

Self Cite

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“…com/, accessed on 3 January 2024). The resolution of UAS imagery and its ease of acquisition can result in legal and ethical issues (e.g., privacy, security, animal disturbance) [75] that rarely apply to commercial SRS imagery [76]. The potential disturbance caused by UAS must be assessed for each target species; some animals show little behavioural response to UAS [33], whereas other species need several weeks to become habituated [77].…”

Section: Image Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Satellite Remote Sensing and Unoccupied Aircraft Systems for Counting Wildlife on Land

Attard,

Phillips,

Bowler

et al. 2024

Remote Sensing

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Although many medium-to-large terrestrial vertebrates are still counted by ground or aerial surveys, remote-sensing technologies and image analysis have developed rapidly in recent decades, offering improved accuracy and repeatability, lower costs, speed, expanded spatial coverage and increased potential for public involvement. This review provides an introduction for wildlife biologists and managers relatively new to the field on how to implement remote-sensing techniques (satellite and unoccupied aircraft systems) for counting large vertebrates on land, including marine predators that return to land to breed, haul out or roost, to encourage wider application of these technological solutions. We outline the entire process, including the selection of the most appropriate technology, indicative costs, procedures for image acquisition and processing, observer training and annotation, automation, and citizen science campaigns. The review considers both the potential and the challenges associated with different approaches to remote surveys of vertebrates and outlines promising avenues for future research and method development.

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“…A review of UAS use for conservation in protected areas touted the benefits of using drones for enforcement while also acknowledging that there are still some ethical considerations left to work out (Jiménez López and Mulero-Pázmány, 2019). In general, though, UAS surveying of public use of a managed land can be a viable option, and Nowlin et al (2019) provide best practices for this use case in some coastal contexts.…”

Section: Enforcement and Protectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Marine Ecosystem Restoration

Ridge

Johnston

2020

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Assessing, implementing and monitoring ecosystem restoration can be a labor intensive process, often short term (<3 years), and potentially destructive to the habitat. Advances in remote sensing technology are generating rapid, non-destructive methods for siting, executing and monitoring restoration efforts, particularly in fragile marine environments. Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, are a highly flexible method for accessing and remote sensing ecosystems with on-demand capabilities, greater resolution than sensors from satellites and occupied aircraft, and the ability to cover large areas quickly. With the variety of platforms and payloads available, UASs are providing a suite of tools for conservation practitioners to properly plan marine ecosystem restoration projects and evaluate their success. Both conventional and specialized sensors coupled with image processing techniques can be used to gauge impact to and recovery of entire ecological communities. For example, high-resolution, multispectral imaging allows for discernment of population changes across trophic levels, concurrent with the discrimination of species (including rare) across a landscape, and detection of vegetation stress. Structure from Motion photogrammetric processing provides centimeter-scale three-dimensional models of habitat structure to measure ecologically significant aspects like rugosity and assess their change through time. Water quality around a broad impacted area can be remotely monitored via a number of payloads before and after restoration. Additionally, specially designed payloads can be used to manually disperse seeds or materials for restoration applications without disturbing the habitat. UASs have increasing potential to reduce the costs (both time and money) associated with restoration efforts, making site assessment and long-term, broad-scale monitoring more achievable. Here we present a review of the applications of UASs in marine ecosystem restoration with an overview of the special considerations of using this technology in the marine environment.

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Applying Unoccupied Aircraft Systems to Study Human Behavior in Marine Science and Conservation Programs

Cited by 7 publications

References 21 publications

Operational Protocols for the Use of Drones in Marine Animal Research

Operational Protocols for the Use of Drones in Marine Animal Research

Review of Satellite Remote Sensing and Unoccupied Aircraft Systems for Counting Wildlife on Land

Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Marine Ecosystem Restoration

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