Marsh Monitoring with Drones
A community of practice in Maryland and Virginia
Bloede Dam, Patapsco State Park
Bloede Dam, Patapsco State Park. Click to expand.
Project lead: Matthew Baker, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Chincoteague Bay
Chincoteague Bay. Click to expand.
Project lead: William Nardin, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Horn Point Laboratory
Cove Point Marsh
Cove Point Marsh. Click to expand.
Project lead: Lora Harris and William Nardin, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Delmarva Saltwater Intrusion
Delmarva Saltwater Intrusion. Click to expand.
Project lead: Jarrod Miller, University of Delaware
Eastern Shore Tidal Marshes
Eastern Shore Tidal Marshes. Click to expand.
Project lead: Cindy Palinkas, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point Laboratory
Kyle Point
Kyle Point. Click to expand.
Project lead: Nick Kiraly, Underwood & Associates
Occohannock Creek
Occohannock Creek. Click to expand.
Project lead: Joseph Betit, Earth Systems Management, LLC
Poplar Island
Poplar Island. Click to expand.
Project leads: Lorie Staver, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Anna Windle, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
Shenandoah River
Shenandoah River. Click to expand.
Project lead: Ronaldo Lopez, Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Rivers Center
UMD UAS Research and Operations Center (UROC)
UMD UAS Research and Operations Center (UROC). Click to expand.
Project lead: John Slaughter, University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering, Aerospace Engineering Department
York River Reserves
York River Reserves. Click to expand.
Project lead: Alex Demeo, Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia at Virginia Institute of Marine Science
York River State Park
York River State Park. Click to expand.
Project lead: Kory Angstadt, Virginia Institute of Maine Science Center For Coastal Resources Management
Whittaker Creek
Whittaker Creek. Click to expand.
Project lead: Tom Allen, Old Dominion University
Bloede Dam, Patapsco State Park
Project lead: Matthew Baker, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Project description: Imagery collected from UAVs used to develop digital elevation models from Bloede pool and downstream channel to monitor sediment flux following dam removal.
Pilot interests: Multitemporal alingment, baythymetric DEMs, flying in a gorge
Pilot certifications/permissions: Part 107, Permission from BWI tower, LAANC approval
Contact: mbaker@umbc.edu
Chincoteague Bay
Project lead: William Nardin, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Horn Point Laboratory
Project description: Monitoring living shoreline projects
Pilot interests: Marsh monitoring and modeling, nature-based solutions
Pilot certifications/permissions: My students have a FAA certification to fly drones.
Contact: wnardin@umces.edu
Cove Point Marsh
Project lead: Lora Harris and William Nardin, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Project description: Since 2010, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science has performed monitoring of a large scale marsh restoration at Cove Point.
Pilot interests: Wetland restoration (Harris), geomorphology (Nardin)
Pilot certifications/permissions: This is near a liquid natural gas facility and permission is required to fly drones adjacent to this site.
Contact: harris@umces.edu; wnardin@umces.edu
Delmarva Saltwater Intrusion
Project lead: Jarrod Miller, University of Delaware
Project description: Mapping edges of field boundaries within field crop agriculture as they transition to marshes due to saltwater intrusion; learn more at sites.udel.edu/delmarvasalt/
Pilot interests: Agronomy, Precision Agriculture.
Pilot certifications/permissions: Certified Drone Pilot, FAA
Contact: jarrod@udel.edu
Eastern Shore Tidal Marshes
Project lead: Cindy Palinkas, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point Laboratory
Project description: Using drones to study plant communities and shoreline morphology pre and post-living shoreline construction at several sites across the Eastern Shore.
Pilot interests: vegetation monitoring, coastal geomorphology
Pilot certifications/permissions: FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification; Landowner permission to launch/land from private property (when applicable)
Contact: cpalinkas@umces.edu, lstaver@umces.edu, and bmalmgren@umces.edu
Kyle Point
Project lead: Nick Kiraly, Underwood & Associates
Project description: Shoreline restoration project on Round Bay in the Severn River. This living shoreline utilizes a series of breakwaters and tombolos to dissipate wave energy, stabilize the existing shoreline and adjacent steep slope, and create and enhance a mosaic of estuarine habitats, including tidal marsh, beach strand, and submerged aquatic vegetation habitat. Monitoring continues by drone. Read more at www.ecosystemrestoration.com/kylepoint
Pilot interests: Drone LiDAR Mapping
Pilot certifications/permissions: FAA Part 107, DC SFRA
Contact: nick@ecosystemrestoration.com
Occohannock Creek
Project lead: Joseph Betit, Earth Systems Management, LLC
Project description: Documentary - Building a Living Shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay's Occohannock Creek. A project by Chris Davis, Ready Reef Inc. Learn more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8sWWYtuMic
Pilot interests: education, training, advanced geospatial technologies, unmanned robotic water mapping, shallow water specialization
Pilot certifications/permissions: FAA Part 107
Contact: jwbetit@gmail.com
Poplar Island
Project leads: Lorie Staver, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Anna Windle, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
Project description: Drones are being used to monitor vegetation coverage, marsh migration, channel evolution, and edge erosion in the restored marshes at Poplar Island. Multispectral UAS data was collected at Poplar Island and used as input into a machine learning model to classify species-specific marsh vegetation; learn more at http://www.poplarislandrestoration.com and doi.org/10.3389/frsen.2023.1140999
Pilot interests: Ocean color remote sensing, ocean optics, water quality, hyperspectral imaging, vegetation indices, seasonality
Pilot certifications/permissions: FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
Contact: lstaver@umces.edu; anna.windledipaola@nasa.gov
Shenandoah River
Project lead: Ronaldo Lopez, Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Rivers Center
Project description: UAS-acquired hyperspectral imagery and model development to assess benthic cyanobacterial blooms occurring in the Shenandoah River, VA. This is a collaborative project in partnership with the Interstate Commision on the Potomac River Basin, USGS, and the VCU Rice Rivers Center, and is funded by the VADEQ.
Pilot interests: Wetland and aquatic systems ecologist, remote sensing specialist, spectroscopy, model development
Pilot certifications/permissions: Part 107 certification, special research permits for state park
Contact: lopezr5@vcu.edu
UMD UAS Research and Operations Center (UROC)
Project lead: John Slaughter, University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering, Aerospace Engineering Department
Project description: UROC supports safe and effective use of UAS by faculty, students, and other researchers and advances UAS integration in the National Airspace System; learn more at uroc.umd.edu/
Pilot interests: Engineering, operations, modifications, prototyping, integration, planning
Pilot certifications/permissions: Part 107 certified operators; established status as public entity for purposes of obtaining FAA Certificates of Waiver or Authorization; Commercial Services Agreement (CSA) with Navy to access restricted airspace over the Chesapeake Bay
Contact: slots@umd.edu
York River Reserves
Project lead: Alex Demeo, Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia at Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Project description: Flights of four reserve components yearly to track habitat changes. Work with other groups on shoreline mapping and video/photos of work in the field.
Pilot interests: Fixed wing drones, quad copter drones, PIX4D, flight operations
Pilot certifications/permissions: FAA Part 107 license holder, AgEagle factory trained for Ebee series drones
Contact: awdemeo@vims.edu
York River State Park
Project lead: Kory Angstadt, Virginia Institute of Maine Science Center For Coastal Resources Management
Project description: Investigating estuarine bank heights and bluff change using remote sensing techniques; learn more at geonarrative.usgs.gov/yorkriversp
Pilot interests: Drone mapping, processing
Pilot certifications/permissions: Drone Flight Permission from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Contact: kory@vims.edu
Whittaker Creek
Project lead: Tom Allen, Old Dominion University
Project description: Academic-industry collaboration to restore marshes, reuse dredge spoils, and enhance public access to Whittaker Creek and Severn River, VA. Project is using two types of drones, photogrammetry and LIDAR, hydrodynamic modeling, marsh planting, and an innovative oyster reef and DredgeSOX sill technology.
Pilot interests: UAS and remote sensing, GIS, marsh ecology, sea level rise, coastal resilience
Pilot certifications/permissions: FAA UAS remote pilot certificate, no other requirements (class G airspace)
Contact: tallen@odu.edu
Do you want to be part of the network for marsh drone research in the Chesapeake Bay region? Maryland Sea Grant is collecting information about projects in the coastal Chesapeake Bay area in a StoryMap to help drone users and the drone-curious connect. Take this quick survey to have your work featured in this resource!
Interested in using drones for marsh research? View our webinar recording here .