Rapid and Accurate Monitoring of Intertidal Oyster Reef Habitat Using Unoccupied Aircraft Systems and Structure from Motion

Oysters support an economically important fishery in many locations in the United States and provide benefits to the surrounding environment by filtering water, providing habitat for fish, and stabilizing shorelines. Changes in oyster reef health reflect variations in factors such as recreational and commercial harvests, predation, disease, storms, and broader anthropogenic influences, such as climate change. Consistent measurements of reef area and morphology can help effectively monitor oyster habitat across locations. However, traditional approaches to acquiring these data are time-consuming and can be costly. Unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) present a rapid and reliable method for assessing oyster habitat that may overcome these limitations, although little information on the accuracy of platforms and processing techniques is available. In the present study, oyster reefs ranging in size from 30 m2 to 300 m2 were surveyed using both fixed-wing and multirotor UAS and compared with ground-based surveys of each reef conducted with a real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTK-GPS). Survey images from UAS were processed using structure from motion (SfM) stereo photogrammetry techniques, with and without the use of ground control point (GCP) correction, to create reef-scale measures of area and morphology for comparison to ground-based measures. UAS-based estimates of both reef area and morphology were consistently lower than ground-based estimates, and the results of matched pairs analyses revealed that differences in reef area did not vary significantly by aircraft or the use of GCPs. However, the use of GCPs increased the accuracy of UAS-based reef morphology measurements, particularly in areas with the presence of water and/or homogeneous spectral characteristics. Our results indicate that both fixed-wing and multirotor UAS can be used to accurately monitor intertidal oyster reefs over time and that proper ground control techniques will improve measurements of reef morphology. These non-destructive methods help modernize oyster habitat monitoring by providing useful and accurate knowledge about the structure and health of oyster reefs ecosystems.

Kelimpahan dan Keanekaragaman Tunikata (Ascidiacea) di Perairan Jemeluk dan Penuktukan, Bali

Tunikata is an animal shaped like a tube and its body is covered by a mantle (tunic). These organisms have functions and impacts for ecology, pharmacology, people and the economy. However, the various important roles of the tunicate are not matched by information on abundance and diversity in Indonesia in general and the island of Bali in particular. Therefore, this study aims to determine the abundance, species composition and the diversity of tunikata in the waters of Jemeluk and Penuktukan, Bali, where each of these waters has a different coral reef morphology reef flats (Jemeluk) and reef slopes (Penuktukan). Data retrieval is done with a 25x2m2 belt transect and parallel to the shoreline. Determination of location of observation based on purposive sampling method. Analysis of the data used using the abundance formula, species composition and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. The results showed that the abundance of tunikata in Jemeluk waters did not differ significantly between stations where the highest was found in stations 1 and 3, the lowest at station 2. But the abundance of tunicates in waters Penuktukan significantly different between stations where the highest in three and the lowest station on Station 1. There are nine kinds of tunicates on both waters where species Didemnum molle and Atriolum robustum is the type most commonly found. The highest diversity of tunicate species in Jemeluk waters is found in stations 1 and 3 and the lowest is at station 2, while the highest Penuktukan is located at station 1 and the lowest is at station 3. In general, the index of biodiversity in both waters is categorized as low.