ABSTRACT
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being increasingly used for cost-effective environmental monitoring and to collect data that is beneficial for coastal management. Recent improvements in affordability and accessibility of UAV systems have driven the development of a range of applications benefiting coastal management, such as wildlife monitoring, marine habitat mapping, fisheries compliance, topographic mapping, including modelling wave runup and assessing storm damage and erosion. Compared to conventional manned aircraft, UAVs often provide financial, logistic, and safety benefits. Compared to satellite data, UAVs can provide higher resolution imagery and flexibility in frequency of data collection, as well as generate data in conditions where satellites are not particularly effective. Currently, UAVs bridge the gap between large-area low-resolution remote sensing techniques and small-scale labour-intensive field sampling techniques, allowing for effective data collection in fine detail across relatively large areas. As the capabilities, benefits, and cost-efficiencies of UAVs evolve with continual technological improvements and reforms to legislation, their application for coastal management will expand rapidly in coming years.
