Marine Debris Program Presents at Drones in the Coastal Zone Workshop
NOVEMBER 9, 2020 — On October 20, Peter Murphy, Alaska Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), presented on Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) efforts, observations, and opportunities at the recent Drones in the Coastal Zone Workshop.
This event, hosted by the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association, focused on advancing the knowledge and utilization of UAS in the US Southeast and Caribbean. This remotely held workshop covered a wide range of UAS technology and practices, including mission planning, data management, emerging platforms and sensors, and post processing techniques.
Peter’s presentation focused on the ways that the MDP and its partners have integrated UAS into field projects, including for prioritizing and targeting removal, assessing debris on shorelines, and gathering data to inform prevention actions. Specific focus was given to an ongoing cooperative project led by the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science with Oregon State University and Marine Debris Program that is working to develop, codify, and deploy modular protocols for automated detection and classification of debris that could be used on multiple platforms and sensors.
For more information, contact Peter.Murphy@noaa.gov.