DRONE-BASED PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY OF COASTAL DUNES, SMYRNA DUNES PARK, FLORIDA, U.S.A.: A FEASIBILITY STUDY

Lightweight drones have become popular with the public; in recent years they have found utility in geoscience research and teaching applications. Many geomorphic features take on varied appearances at different scales of observation, and drone sensors provide images at a scale between those of aerial and ground-based surveys. Thus, drones can provide a unique perspective in the analysis of landscape and ecosystem temporal change.

Florida’s modern coastal sand dunes provide a prime opportunity for geomorphologic investigation via drones. Coastal dunes are valued habitats that protect both beaches and onshore environments; they provide living space for a unique flora that includes sea oats (Uniola panicula), railroad vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae), and other distinctive species. The unconsolidated sand grains that comprise the dunes are prone to disruption under meteorological, marine, biotic, and anthropological influences. If disruption becomes too great, dune cohesion and stability are threatened, reducing the service benefits derived from the dunes. Dunes are fragile environments that require protection; drone reconnaissance can allow for close observation without destructive footprints and other forms of human impact.

Smyrna Dunes Park in Volusia County is a popular recreational area on the Atlantic coast of Florida that features several-meter-high seashore dunes, anchored at their crests by U. panicula. Although the park is popular with both humans and their canine companions, anthropogenic threats to dune integrity and stability are mitigated by a series of elevated boardwalks and prohibitive signage.

A preliminary drone-based reconnaissance of dunes at the park has provided images and video to be used as a baseline for the documentation of potential future change and degradation. The feasibility of drone-assisted photogrammetry in the reconstruction of dune height, wavelength, and the positions of crests and troughs with respect to fixed references is assessed. Preliminary drone photography has captured gross anthropogenic degradation of one large dune face in the form of footprints.

By attracting the interest of non-specialists, drones can be useful tools for teaching about dunes and other landforms. The potential use of drones in general education Earth science coursework will be explored.