Images

 The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center relies heavily on collaborations with other DOI agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.

USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profile characteristics as part of a project that models how barrier islands will likely change with sea-level rise - and how those changes will ultimately affect piping plover and other shorebird nesting habitat availability.

An in-progress piping plover nest on Parramore Island, Virginia -- females typically lay 3 to 4 eggs in a nest over the course of a week. Both the male and female will take turns incubating eggs when the final egg is laid. This nest was established in new overwash habitat created by storms during the winter of 2017-2018. 

Group photo of Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

View from a drone!  Aerial view of Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center's Quissett Campus.

Steve Suttles (USGS) uses a radio to determine if an Acoustic Backscatter sensor (white circle) is still operating at the end of the deployment.

he USGS team and R/V Savannah crew prepare to lower the quadpod deployed at the offshore site onto the deck during recovery operations.  Note all the hairy encrusting organisms that grew in 3 months.

Elizabeth Pendleton and Seth Ackerman of the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center at A-450 drone pilot training in Gainesville, Florida in January 2018. Drone pilot training was provided by the DOI Office of Aviation Services (OAS), and was also attended by employees from USGS water and volcano centers, other DOI agencies, and the US Forest Service.

Rob Thieler, Sandy Brosnahan and Alex Nichols deploying ground control targets for a UAS study on Coast Guard National Seashore in Eastham, MA.  

Elizabeth Pendleton and Seth Ackerman of the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center at A-450 drone pilot training in Gainesville, Florida in January 2018. Drone pilot training was provided by the DOI Office of Aviation Services (OAS), and was also attended by employees from USGS water and volcano centers, other DOI agencies, and the US Forest Service.

Elizabeth Pendleton and Seth Ackerman of the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center at A-450 drone pilot training in Gainesville, Florida in January 2018. Drone pilot training was provided by the DOI Office of Aviation Services (OAS), and was also attended by employees from USGS water and volcano centers, other DOI agencies, and the US Forest Service.

Elizabeth Pendleton and Seth Ackerman of the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center at A-450 drone pilot training in Gainesville, Florida in January 2018. Drone pilot training was provided by the DOI Office of Aviation Services (OAS), and was also attended by employees from USGS water and volcano centers, other DOI agencies, and the US Forest Service.

Elizabeth Pendleton and Seth Ackerman of the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center at A-450 drone pilot training in Gainesville, Florida in January 2018. Drone pilot training was provided by the DOI Office of Aviation Services (OAS), and was also attended by employees from USGS water and volcano centers, other DOI agencies, and the US Forest Service.

Drone operations conducted at Sandy Neck Barnstable, MA.  Pilots Elizabeth Pendleton and Seth Ackerman are flying a 3DR Solo quadcopter collecting images to be used in the photogrammetry software package, photoscan, to ultimately create 3d surface models.

Elizabeth Pendleton and Seth Ackerman of the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center at A-450 drone pilot training in Gainesville, Florida in January 2018. Drone pilot training was provided by the DOI Office of Aviation Services (OAS), and was also attended by employees from USGS water and volcano centers, other DOI agencies, and the US Forest Service.

Elizabeth Pendleton and Seth Ackerman of the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center at A-450 drone pilot training in Gainesville, Florida in January 2018. Drone pilot training was provided by the DOI Office of Aviation Services (OAS), and was also attended by employees from USGS water and volcano centers, other DOI agencies, and the US Forest Service.

The USGS team (Eric Marsjanik, Steve Suttles, Dann Blackwood, Marinna Martini, and Ellyn Montgomery (l-r) on the fantail of the R/V Savannah as they steamed back to port after a successful recovery.

crew of the R/V Savannah recover the buoy deployed at the offshore site to record meteorological data.

The fantail of the R/V Savannah loaded with USGS gear recovered from near Matanzas Inlet, FL.  The data collected by the sensors in winter 2018 will be used to assess storm effects on coastal inlet dynamics.
 

A 3DR Solo quadcopter is collecting imagery at Chimney Bluffs State Park in NY. Using photogrammetric techniques, a 3D surface model was created providing elevation data. 

USGS team and R/V Savannah crew prepare to lower the quadpod deployed at the nearshore site onto the deck during recovery operations.  Note all the hairy encrusting organisms that grew in 3 months and how close to the shoreline the ship is.