UAV monitoring of beach grass (UAV-Strandhafermonitoring) 2023 - 2026

The project investigates the growth conditions and status of beach grass populations on the sandy shallow coasts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania by means of regular multispectral UAV surveys. In parallel, in-situ field measurements are being designed and carried out to validate the drone survey data and to develop suitable sampling designs for future beach grass monitoring. The multispectral data are processed and analysed using automated algorithms programmed in Jupyter Notebook to derive indices of the condition of the marram grass areas. These analysis algorithms are evaluated by comparison with on-site surveys carried out by STALU-MV and assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Finally, the results obtained over the growing seasons from 2023 to 2026 will be incorporated into a scientific report containing recommendations for action on beach grass management and climate adaptation, which will translate the developed methods into practice within Department 60 (Coastal Protection).