Includes a full overview of past and emerging applications for ecology and biology of marine species and coastal habitats with in-depth discussion on future of drone applications in coastal biological and ecological research. Comprehensive exploration of current drone technologies, including detection limits of target species, payload selection, operational procedures aeronautical concepts, rules and regulations, safety, mission planning, aircraft design, maintenance, data collection, management and analysis. Biological and technical lab components tailored to student interests: Active participation in megafaunal or environmental research and data analysis. Building, operating and maintaining aircraft, programming for manual and autonomous flight. The use of unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) is changing how marine scientists collect data on animals and the environments they inhabit. This course introduces students to the basics of using UAS in marine environments, presenting examples of existing and emerging applications, detailing the types of sensors used for marine applications, describes the sampling complexities of the marine environment, and provides and overview of typical workflows and data management. Details on regulatory and permitting requirements to fly UAS and legally and safely are also covered. The lab portion of the course will focus on basic aeronautics, flight planning and simulations, and the design, assembly, operation and maintenance of unoccupied aerial vehicles.

This course spans current and emerging remote sensing applications for ecology and conservation, with in-depth treatment of satellite and drone applications in coastal biological and ecological research through client-based group research projects. Comprehensive exploration of current platforms and sensor technologies (e.g. multispectral, hyperspectral and thermal imaging), theoretical and technical foundations of remote sensing (e.g. georectification, image analysis, landscape classification) and broad exposure to practical applications such as animal detection, land cover mapping, digital elevation models, change analysis and essential ground truthing techniques for both drone and satellite remote sensing products. Experiential work focused on applying remote sensing workflows to real world questions and the creation of remote sensing platform/sensor combination useful for ecological or conservation applications. Collaborative client project: Groups of students will engage with a natural resource agency or NGO to help them study or manage an environmental problem tractable using drone and satellite-based remote sensing.

The Drones in the Coastal Zone workshop transitioned to a series of virtual sessions in October 2020. The twice weekly series covered aspects of drone technology including governmental policy and procedures, mission planning, data management, demonstrations on emerging drone technologies, and more. All sessions were recorded and made available on the SECOORA website.

Drones can be game-changing tools for conservation and environmental science, but information about how to appropriately adopt and apply these tools can be hard to come by. To address this gap, the Duke Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab and the Nicholas School Executive Education Program developed and deployed a new course: Drones for Land Trust Monitoring and Management. This 1-month online course will help environmental professionals determine how and when to apply unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology to their conservation projects, specifically focusing on land trust and stewardship applications. Experts at the Duke University Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab will advise and instruct on integrating this emerging technology into land trust workflows and management programs.