A Drone Upgrade and a New Pilot Propel SFEI’s Efforts
Aug 7, 2024
Join us in congratulating SFEI's Associate GIS Specialist, Kat Palermo, for successfully attaining her Part 107 Remote Pilot License from the FAA! She joins GIS Manager, Pete Kauhanen, as a second drone pilot at SFEI. This achievement, along with the acquisition of a DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise small Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (sUAV), significantly enhances SFEI’s monitoring and science communication capabilities. The advanced drone features a high-quality sensor on a stabilizing gimbal and a Real Time Kinetic (RTK) module, enabling centimeter-level accuracy. Ideal for drone photography and videography, this drone is now an integral tool in supporting ongoing monitoring and research efforts. By enabling SFEI geospatial specialists to produce high-resolution imagery and elevation data, SFEI can better monitor sediment and marsh volumetric changes before and after storms and other disturbances. We are excited to build off the experience the Institute has of capturing video and photographs over the Bay Area’s tidal marshes and baylands to continue to produce compelling communication materials.
SFEI’s Drone Debut Boosts Restoration Efforts and Research
In partnership with Zone 7 Water Agency and H.T. Harvey & Associates, SFEI conducted an sUAV flight survey of Sycamore Alluvial Woodlands (SAW) restoration plantings in Livermore, CA. The operation produced new post-project baseline layers with high-resolution imagery and elevation rasters. The 0.5-inch resolution RGB orthomosaic imagery captured site conditions with precision, aiding restoration monitoring. GIS Specialists verified plant presence and derived vegetation indices to assess the health and success of restoration plantings. The 2-foot resolution Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and Digital Surface Model (DSM), combined with the vegetation indices, enabled the creation of a vegetation height raster to evaluate habitat restoration at individual plant and ecosystem levels. Additionally, comparing previous regional Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to the UAV DTM revealed significant changes in stream geomorphology. Staff also derived elevation profiles of Arroyo Mocho cross-sections to investigate stream health and aid future restoration planning. Overall, the sUAV flight operation introduced a novel and promising approach to restoration monitoring. SFEI GIS staff are excited to leverage sUAV capabilities across various projects, enhancing our ability to support and advance monitoring and research efforts.
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Geographic Information Systems
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Vision from the Skies: Using UAS Surveys to Monitor a Key Restoration Project (News)
At the McCosker Creek Restoration site, 3,000 linear feet of creek channel that previously had been flowing through underground culverts since the 1950s was daylighted and reconstructed. In addition, invasive and non native plants were removed and replaced with over 5,000 native plants. The restoration was also designed to support erosion control, and provide habitat for wildlife and aquatic species including rainbow trout, California red-legged frog and the Alameda whipsnake. This restoration work began in 2020 and concluded in 2023.
A Bird's Eye View on Bay Area Marshes (via Unoccupied Aerial Systems) Yields New Insights (News)
SFEI continues to leverage our Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) capabilities to support conservation and monitoring efforts around the Bay. Two recent projects include monitoring for the Sears Point Restoration Project in San Pablo Bay, as well as conducting a number of flights to support the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) filming of existing marshes and marsh restoration projects that help protect both communities and critical infrastructure.
SFEI Unoccupied Aerial Systems (Project)
SFEI has developed novel, cost-effective solutions to costly problems. In particular, our work with drones or Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) has yielded very promising results. We have used UAS to address a number of scientific challenges and use cases. SFEI applications of UAS include, wetland monitoring, restoration monitoring, sediment volume estimations, and trash surveys leveraging machine learning algorithms. In the course of our use of UAS, we have derived some useful analyses on the technology that lend the resulting products credibility and reliability.