How Drones Help Map Critical Habitat
Usually when we think of meadows, we think of grassy places with flowers and butterflies. But did you know there are grassy meadows underwater as well? Drones are one way to map these meadows.
Dr. Juliet Simpson (MIT Sea Grant) and Sue Bickford (1000 Drones for 1000 Girls) flew a drone over Brimbal Beach in Beverly Massachusetts this week to map eel grass meadows from the air. It is called “eel grass” because eels are one kind of fish that lives in underwater meadows such as this.
How Photos Become a Map
Here is one photo from 120 photos taken by the drone during the flight. You can see the eel grass in the bottom half of the photo.
A computer program is used to “stitch” all the 120 photos together into something called an “orthomosaic” that then can be used by mapping programs to track changes in the eel grass over time.
Why is Eel Grass Important?
Eel grass habitats are found all along our coasts and play an important role in protecting fish and other creatures such as crabs and clams. Find out more in this video.
Summary
Drones are being used to help monitor and save critical habitat along the coast, including underwater eel grass meadows.
MIT Sea Grant and 1000 Drones for 1000 Girls partnered to fly an eel grass meadow in Beverly Massachusetts as part of a larger project for Mass Bays National Estuary Partnership.
