Browsing by Subject "UAS"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    A Framework for Integrating Unoccupied Aircraft Systems Technology into Environmental Readiness at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific
    (2021-04-30) Shield, Jennie
    The Department of Defense is the third largest federal land managing agency in the United States; using approximately 30 million acres, and marine environments, to train and test. The Navy’s ability to adequately train and test is the cornerstone of mission readiness. Therefore, the Navy must sustainably manage its lands, waters, and other natural resources to ensure mission readiness. The Environmental Readiness branch at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific performs a myriad of compliance and monitoring tasks in support of the Navy’s dual commitment to mission readiness and to environmental stewardship. This project provides a framework for the Environmental Readiness team to integrate Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) technology into compliance and monitoring efforts by examining four tasks: 1) rocky intertidal baseline mapping 2) plant cover classification 3) eel grass habitat mapping, and 4) wildlife detection. This basic framework serves as a foundation for future exploration and evaluation of UAS applications for Environmental Readiness tasking.
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    Enhancement of Louisiana Marine Mammal Stranding Response Through UAS
    (2024-04-25) Fallon, John
    The Louisiana Marine Mammal Stranding Network responds to live and dead marine mammal reports across the state. Response in Louisiana is unique when compared to other stranding networks in the Gulf, as the coastline is a mix of marsh, barrier islands, and beaches spread out over 7,721 miles, making monitoring difficult and resource intense. Stranding network participants are looking for new methods to enhance network performance, including incorporation of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS). This project assesses the potential of UAS in the Louisiana Marine Mammal Stranding Network through the review of common stranding activities and how they may benefit from the technology. Assessment was informed by research on UAS regulations and policy, UAS equipment, and stranding network operations. Final analysis demonstrates that UAS can provide a benefit to certain aspects of stranding response, but regulations limit UAS from reaching its full potential in supporting network activities.
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    Integrating the use of Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) into Coastal Land Management Strategies on the Outer Banks of North Carolina
    (2020-04-24) Adams, Cameron
    Unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) stand to dramatically improve the way coastal managers understand and plan for climate change, yet the tool has been underutilized for this purpose. The Duke Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab and the North Carolina chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) collaborated to develop a series of research questions and methods using UAS to assess the effects of climate change at the Nags Head Woods Preserve (NHW), a coastal property TNC manages on the Outer Banks. We aimed to better understand 1) the history of shoreline erosion and 2) the likely climate-driven ecological changes at the site. High-resolution imagery was captured using an eBee Plus fixed wing drone and images were stitched into a single mosaic using Pix4D. Long-term shoreline erosion rates were calculated and interpreted by evaluating shoreline characteristics apparent from UAS imagery. The NHW shoreline has exhibited significant erosion, which varies spatially due mainly to differences in shoreline type and orientation. Ecological vulnerability to climate change could not be assessed without setting high-accuracy baselines for the present-day areal extent of plant communities within NHW. Training data were generated from UAS imagery and used to run a supervised classification, resulting in the first accurate delineation of each plant community in NHW. These methods may be repeated in the future to assess climate-driven ecological change through time. UAS proved to be an effective tool for organizations and managers to improve research and monitoring in the coastal environment.
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    Revolutionizing Behavioral Sampling of Cetaceans with Unoccupied Aerial Systems: A Literature Review and Case Study
    (2021-04-30) Edmondson, Mary (Masha)
    Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS, aka drones) have revolutionized how researchers sample cetacean behavior by improving the accuracy and detection of cetacean behaviors. Despite this advancement, only 16 published studies to date utilize drones to study cetacean behavior. A review of 1,657 behavioral studies published from 1980 to 2020 reveal that 39 species lack any behavioral research, and the majority of studies do not leverage key methodical and technological advances within the field, which can reduce observational biases. Ninety-six percent (96%) of studies lacked critical information about observations, protocols, and observed behaviors, and it was uncommon for studies to explicitly address biases and limitations within their research. The most favored sampling methods used were ad libitum (29%) and continuous sampling (22%) methods, which are often non-systematic and arduous for observers. The case study demonstrated that UAS can be used to accurately capture bubble-net foraging observations of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) while reducing disturbance and observational bias arising from traditional observational methods. Recommendations to improve accuracy and reduce bias in behavioral studies are provided to help address shortcomings revealed by the present study.
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    UNOCCUPIED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM APPLICATIONS FOR SALT MARSH SHORELINES: A HANDBOOK
    (2019-04-25) Dobroski, Kelly
    Salt marshes provide coastal storm protection, fishery habitat, water filtration, carbon storage, and ecotourism. While estimated at 3.8 million acres in the U.S., salt marsh habitats have declined rapidly over the last three decades. Current monitoring practices for salt marshes are resource intensive, and often cause damage when walking through them. Advances in unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS, or drones) enable remote monitoring of marshes and can improve data quality, efficiency, immediacy, and safety, often with reduced costs. Modern UAS monitoring methods were developed and tested at three salt marshes in Beaufort, NC, to establish their reliability and replicability. The resulting handbook derived from these studies demonstrates the costs and benefits of UAS-based salt marsh monitoring and provides methods and best practices for organizations seeking to implement drone-based monitoring of salt marshes.