Development and applications of fixed-wing water-landing (FWWL) Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in marine and freshwater conservation

该博士学位是一个集空间生态学、保护科学、政策与管理、设计与工程等多学科于一体的多学科项目。将制定方法，以应用FWWL无人机进行有效的渔业监测，确定大型动物分布的空间和时间模式，并检测和量化塑料污染。为了实现粮食安全，海洋和淡水系统对资源管理和野生动物保护提出了相当大的挑战。了解大型动物、捕捞活动和污染的精细分布有助于确定野生动物的脆弱性、评估渔业资源状况和减轻人类压力。利用维多利亚湖、塞舌尔、英国和BIOT的案例研究，该项目将进行试验和系统调查，解决全球养护关注的3个领域：1)渔业监测，2)大型动物分布，3)塑料污染。该无人机将采用系统工程方法进行设计，确定软件和图像处理协议，以便建立海洋保护区和渔业管理人员使用和应用的标准。

This PhD is a multidisciplinary project combining spatial ecology, conservation science, policy and management, design and engineering. Methods will be developed for the application use of FWWL UAVs for effective fisheries surveillance, the identification of spatial and temporal patterns of megafauna distribution, and for the detection and quantification of plastic pollution. Marine and freshwater systems present considerable challenges for resource management and wildlife conservation, in order to achieve food security. Understanding the fine scale distribution of megafauna, fishing activity and pollution can help in identifying wildlife vulnerability, assess fisheries resource status and mitigate human pressures. Using case studies in Lake Victoria, Seychelles, UK and BIOT this project will conduct trials and systematic surveys addressing 3 areas of global conservation concern: 1) fisheries surveillance, 2) megafauna distribution, and 3) plastic pollution. The drone will be designed using a systems engineering approach identifying software and image processing protocols, in order to establish standards of use and for applications by marine protected area and fisheries managers.