Using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles to Map and Monitor Changes in Emergent Kelp Canopy After an Ecological Regime Shift

19 Jul Using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles to Map and Monitor Changes in Emergent Kelp Canopy After an Ecological Regime Shift

Healthy kelp forests are important for both people and nature but increasingly severe ecosystem stressors like marine heatwaves have resulted in declines in kelp in many regions, including the North Coast of California. Given the significant and sustained loss of kelp in this region, management intervention is needed to reset the ecosystem. Through this research we contributed to the largest science-based drone survey ever conducted in California to map kelp canopy cover and advance strategic kelp restoration alongside Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and partners.