78650 Data Set Published / External 47021 NERRS Project Completed 2024-09 Unknown Unknown This project brought together oyster reef managers along the southeastern United States to evaluate the use of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), or drones, as a novel tool for measuring changes in oyster reefs. The Project Oyster reefs in the southeastern United States offer an abundance of ecosystem services and support both recreational and commercial fisheries. To protect and enhance oyster reefs, resource managers in the southeastern United States need accurate and timely information to guide decisions on fishery closures and restoration efforts. Oyster resource managers and NERR staff in FL, GA, SC, and NC often rely on conventional monitoring approaches to inform management and restoration decisions, but these approaches have limitations. For example, methods like boat-based surveys and in situ quadrat sampling are time consuming and limited by spatial scale. To overcome these limitations, this project evaluated the use of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), or drones, as a novel tool for measuring reef structural and demographic characteristics relevant to reef function. Building on a previous collaborative initiative (NERRS Science Collaborative 2020 Catalyst), this project brought together oyster resource managers and restoration practitioners across four states. Together, the team developed and refined workflows for using drones to monitor key oyster reef metrics of interest across the region. The workflows provide standard procedures for data collection, analyzing drone imagery and generating estimates of: reef height and elevation; rugosity; reef footprint and area; shell substrate and oyster percent cover; shell volumetric change; and, oyster density and size structure. These workflows have built technical capacity for the use of drones at the Reserves and state resource agencies. Application of the workflows has demonstrated that drones offer the capability to collect accurate, high resolution remote sensing data across entire reefs at a fraction of the cost of traditional sampling approaches. Integrating drones with existing oyster reef assessment efforts is allowing managers to map and model oyster reef ecosystem function and services on a scale that was previously unachievable. The Impact Facilitated the analysis of oyster reefs on scales that were not feasible with in situ field measurement. Inspired deeper interstate collaboration in support of oyster resource management. Enabling the development of an integrated, multi-metric index of reef condition that can be used to support management and restoration decision making. Expanded monitoring capacity for the Reserves, state resource agencies, and researchers. Use cases include: The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is actively using the workflows for reef elevation, rugosity, footprint, and volumetric change to: 1) monitor state-managed recreational and commercial oyster harvesting grounds; and 2) monitor oyster restoration projects around the ACE Basin NERR. Researchers at NOAA are applying the workflows to: 1) evaluate the success of oyster restoration projects in NC and SC; 2) evaluate wave attenuation as a function of reef elevation, rugosity, and slope; and 3) monitor the effectiveness of oyster relocation efforts associated with a dredge mitigation project. NC Division of Marine Fisheries is using the workflows to improve the data collection of a pilot intertidal oyster sentinel site monitoring program designed to inform resource management by generating a time series of improved habitat quality metrics and fishery-independent biological data. Researchers at East Carolina University are using the density and rugosity workflows to assess how reef structure influences wave energy across reefscapes. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources plans to use workflows to assist managers with comparing restored intertidal oyster reefs to target ecological references to evaluate restoration success. Project Lead: Peter Kingsley-Smith, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, kingsleysmithp@dnr.sc.gov Collaborative Lead: Whitney Jenkins, NC Coastal Reserve and NERR, whitney.jenkins@deq.nc.gov Technical Leads: Brandon Puckett, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, brandon.puckett@noaa.gov Justin Ridge, Post-doctoral researcher, NC NERR, justin.ridge@deq.nc.gov Gary Sundin, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, sunding@dnr.sc.gov Partners: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > OYSTER REEF Theme ACE Basin, SC NERR Theme Crassostrea virginica Theme UAS Theme drones Theme image analysis Theme monitoring Theme oyster demographics Theme oyster density Theme oyster percent cover Theme oyster reef Theme reef condition Theme reef demographics Theme reef elevation Theme reef footprint Theme reef rugosity Theme reef structure Theme remote sensing Theme shell volume Theme uncrewed aerial systems Spatial Guana Tolomato Matanzas, FL NERR Spatial North Carolina, NC NERR Spatial North Inlet-Winyah Bay, SC NERR Spatial Sapelo Island, GA NERR Data Set As Needed The distributor does not assume liability. 78651 Published / External Other N/A Data Steward 2015 Organization Office for Coastal Management OCM https://ror.org/05v14bq57 2234 South Hobson Avenue Charleston SC 29405-2413 https://www.coast.noaa.gov/ Distributor 2015 Organization Office for Coastal Management OCM https://ror.org/05v14bq57 2234 South Hobson Avenue Charleston SC 29405-2413 https://www.coast.noaa.gov/ Metadata Contact 2017-10-31 Person Cothran, Jeremy jeremy.cothran@gmail.com Originator 2016-11 2019 Person Ralston, David dralston@whoi.edu Ground Condition -79.285 -79.15 33.375 33.204 North Inlet-Winyah Bay, SC NERR -81.31 -81.25 31.5 31.375 Sapelo Island, GA NERR -81.39 -81.15 30.18 29.59 Guana Tolomato Matanzas, FL NERR -76.65 -76.61 34.72 34.68 North Carolina, NC NERR -80.67 -80.2 32.68 32.33 Ashepoo Combahee Edisto Basin, SC NERR Range 2022-10 2024-09 Unclassified None Cite this dataset when used as a source: NOAA retains the right to analyze, synthesize and publish summaries of the NERRS/NSC data. The NERRS/NSC retains the right to be fully credited for having collected and process the data. Following academic courtesy standards, the NERR site where the data were collected should be contacted and fully acknowledged in any subsequent publications in which any part of the data are used. The data enclosed within this package/transmission are only as accurate as the quality assurance and quality control procedures that are described in the associated metadata reporting statement allow. The user bears all responsibility for its subsequent use/misuse in any further analyses or comparisons. The Federal government does not assume liability to the Recipient or third persons, nor will the Federal government reimburse or indemnify the Recipient for its liability due to any losses resulting in any way from the use of this data. Requested citation format: NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative(NSC). https://nerrssciencecollaborative.org/project/Kingsley-Smith22 2015 Organization Office for Coastal Management https://ror.org/05v14bq57 Kingsley-Smith22 Multiple formats https://nerrssciencecollaborative.org/project/Kingsley-Smith22 Kingsley-Smith22 Online Resource N/A This information is detailed within the project links. This information is detailed within the project links. N/A 1 N/A Organization Office for Coastal Management OCM https://ror.org/05v14bq57 2234 South Hobson Avenue Charleston SC 29405-2413 https://www.coast.noaa.gov/ 78651 Entity gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:78650 Jeremy Cothran 2025-11-21T19:01:15 SysAdmin InPortAdmin 2026-03-04T19:17:17 2025-11-21 Office for Coastal Management OCM 1002 Public No No 2019-11-08 3 Years 2022-11-08