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Environmental Sciences

WWU Graduate School Collection

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Drone

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Analysis Of Eelgrass In Padilla Bay, Washington Using An Uncrewed Aerial System, Hannah Hein Jan 2022

Analysis Of Eelgrass In Padilla Bay, Washington Using An Uncrewed Aerial System, Hannah Hein

WWU Graduate School Collection

Eelgrass is an important part of coastal environments in the Pacific Northwest as it provides crucial habitat and moderates storm surge. Padilla Bay, Washington is home to one of the largest eelgrass meadows in North America and contains the native Zostera marina and the non-native Z. japonica. The relationship between these two species is of interest due to the influx of Z. japonica in previously unvegetated areas. I used an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) and a multispectral camera to study species dynamics. I compared the ability of values derived from the band data, two vegetation indices, and a principal …


Uav Remote Sensing Approaches To Mapping Glacier Ablation And Snow Algae Radiative Forcing In The North Cascades., Shannon Healy Jan 2022

Uav Remote Sensing Approaches To Mapping Glacier Ablation And Snow Algae Radiative Forcing In The North Cascades., Shannon Healy

WWU Graduate School Collection

The stability of our cryosphere relies on highly reflective snow surfaces that reflect solar radiation, thereby maintaining the energy balance of the earth. The advances in Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology allow for researchers to assess snow surfaces in remote terrain at unprecedented scales. With this thesis, we demonstrate the range of UAV applications to assess glacier ablation and map snow algae in the North Cascades. The first chapter employs a low-cost, light-weight UAV to measure ablation of the Sholes Glacier using Structure-from-Motion technology and validates the measurements with outlet stream discharge data collected by the Nooksack Indian Tribe. We …