One of the most frequent uses of UAS in marine science and conservation is for assessing the abundance and density of marine organisms. The MaRRS lab uses drones to count seabirds, pinnipeds, sea turtles, and sharks. Other researchers use them to count dugongs, intertidal invertebrates and some species of jellyfish. In many cases, these assessments are done using fixed-wing UAS, although multirotor UASs are also employed for these purposes. A variety of sensors are applied to these tasks to help identify organisms. For example, for mammals and birds, thermal cameras can be helpful.
Below are links to several of our published studies that illustrate how we use drones for population assessments in marine science and conservation.