Aerial Surveys
Our qualified Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) (drone) pilots regularly collect
large volumes of high-resolution aerial images for intertidal habitat
mapping purposes.
Under our Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO) granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), our qualified Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pilots regularly conduct aerial surveys for intertidal habitat mapping purposes.
Through the use of specialist photogrammetric software we are able to ‘stitch’ large volumes of high-resolution imagery to create georeferenced orthomosaic, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and 3D model outputs that, combined with ground-truth sampling, allow us to accurately map habitats of conservation interest and/or rapidly enumerate species found in cryptic habitats. To date this has included:
- Mud and sand flats
- Honeycomb worm reef (Sabellaria alveolata)
- Seagrass beds (Zostera spp.)
- Mussel beds
- Rocky reef (including chalk platforms)
- Saltmarsh
- Sand dunes
- Seal pup counts
- Coastal bird counts
Testimonial
From inception to delivery, Ocean Ecology have worked meticulously in ensuring that our monitoring programme is fit for purpose and complies with all relevant conservation requirements. This has been achieved through liaison with the MMO and Natural England on our behalf allowing us continue with our activities with peace of mind knowing that we are meeting the conditions of our Marine Licence.
Andrew Collumbell - General Manager, Brighton Marina