Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to investigate shark and ray densities in a shallow coral lagoon

Kiszka, Jérémy J.; Mourier, Johann; Gastrich, Kirk; Heithaus, Michael R.

doi:10.3354/meps11945

Cited by 106 publications

(101 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…A H3‐3D 3‐axis gimbal (DJI) was used to stabilize the GoPro. Originally, UAV surveys were designed to assess reef‐shark and ray densities in the northern lagoon of Moorea (Kiszka et al , ). For the purpose of this study, a 400 m transect was flown perpendicular to the fringing reef, a deeper channel and the back reef sandflat at a constant altitude of 12 m (Figure ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beaufort < 1). On the sandflat, tourism and provisioning activities occur all day long (Gaspar et al, 2008;Kiszka et al, 2016).…”

Section: Uav Surveysmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the years, aerial surveys have been extensively used in studies of marine wildlife, particularly to assess their distribution and abundance (Bayliss, ; Hodgson et al , ; Kajiura & Tellman, ; Marsh & Sinclair, ; Pollock et al , ; Rowat et al , ). Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV or drones) equipped with a high‐resolution video camera to provide density estimates (or at least encounter rates) of marine fauna with no or limited disturbance (Hodgson et al , , ; Kiszka et al , ). For example, Kiszka et al () showed that direct estimates of densities of reef‐associated elasmobranchs can be obtained from UAV video surveys in shallow tropical lagoon habitats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys and image analysis in the study of large surface‐associated marine species: a case study on reef sharksCarcharhinus melanopterusshoaling behaviour

Rieucau

Kiszka

Castillo

et al. 2018

Journal of Fish Biology

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A novel image analysis-based technique applied to unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) survey data is described to detect and locate individual free-ranging sharks within aggregations. The method allows rapid collection of data and quantification of fine-scale swimming and collective patterns of sharks. We demonstrate the usefulness of this technique in a small-scale case study exploring the shoaling tendencies of blacktip reef sharks Carcharhinus melanopterus in a large lagoon within Moorea, French Polynesia. Using our approach, we found that C. melanopterus displayed increased alignment with shoal companions when distributed over a sandflat where they are regularly fed for ecotourism purposes as compared with when they shoaled in a deeper adjacent channel. Our case study highlights the potential of a relatively low-cost method that combines UAV survey data and image analysis to detect differences in shoaling patterns of free-ranging sharks in shallow habitats. This approach offers an alternative to current techniques commonly used in controlled settings that require time-consuming post-processing effort.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beaufort < 1). On the sandflat, tourism and provisioning activities occur all day long (Gaspar et al, 2008;Kiszka et al, 2016).…”

Section: Uav Surveysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys and image analysis in the study of large surface‐associated marine species: a case study on reef sharksCarcharhinus melanopterusshoaling behaviour

Rieucau

Kiszka

Castillo

et al. 2018

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…tourism, pollution) on abundance, particularly in coastal and shallow habitats, where visibility enables animal detection from the surface, as demonstrated for elasmobranch species in coral reef habitats [44]. Finally, although the flexibility of UASs will be able to revolutionize the way we address and solve ecological problems [9], we must consider government approval navigational stipulations and social implications that impose restrictions on the use of UASs before undertaking research projects involving the use of UASs [43][44][45].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) for Environmental Monitoring: A Review with Applications in Coastal Habitats

Ventura¹,

Bonifazi²,

Gravina³

et al. 2017

Aerial Robots - Aerodynamics, Control and Applications

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Nowadays the proliferation of small unmanned aerial systems or vehicles (UAS/ Vs), formerly known as drones, coupled with an increasing interest in tools for environmental monitoring, have led to an exponential use of these unmanned aerial platforms for many applications in the most diverse fields of science. In particular, ecologists require data collected at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions to describe ecological processes. For these reasons, we are witnessing the proliferation of UAV-based remote sensing techniques because they provide new perspectives on ecological phenomena that would otherwise be difficult to study. Therefore, we propose a brief review regarding the emerging applications of low-cost aerial platforms in the field of environmental sciences such as assessment of vegetation dynamics and forests biodiversity, wildlife research and management, map changes in freshwater marshes, river habitat mapping, and conservation and monitoring programs. In addition, we describe two applications of habitat mapping from UAS-based imagery, along the Central Mediterranean coasts, as study cases: (1) The upper limit of a Posidonia oceanica meadow was mapped to detect impacted areas, (2) high-resolution orthomosaic was used for supporting underwater visual census data in order to visualize juvenile fish densities and microhabitat use in four shallow coastal nurseries.

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“…; Kiszka et al. ). Outside of megafauna studies, the literature for fisheries population assessments is currently limited, despite the fact that such surveys would be possible, particularly in clear coastal waters or stream ecosystems.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Use of Drones in Fishery Science

et al. 2019

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The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), commonly referred to as drones, has rapidly expanded across many scientific disciplines. Like other fields, fisheries research would benefit significantly from broader use of this emerging technology but has lagged behind other disciplines. Like the implementation of satellite and aircraft‐based remote sensing technology in previous decades brought a greater understanding of large‐scale spatial patterns and processes, UAS technology has the potential to put those tools in the hands of individual researchers, allowing implementation at finer spatial and temporal scales for a fraction of the cost. Our goal is to provide a “how‐to” for fisheries researchers interested in using UAS technology. We outline the necessary steps for any UAS project from choosing the appropriate platform and sensors to data acquisition and analysis. We also present the current ways in which UASs are being used in a fisheries research context as well as potential future research directions.

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Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to investigate shark and ray densities in a shallow coral lagoon

Cited by 106 publications

References 19 publications

Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys and image analysis in the study of large surface‐associated marine species: a case study on reef sharksCarcharhinus melanopterusshoaling behaviour

Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys and image analysis in the study of large surface‐associated marine species: a case study on reef sharksCarcharhinus melanopterusshoaling behaviour

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) for Environmental Monitoring: A Review with Applications in Coastal Habitats

Use of Drones in Fishery Science

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