Assessing the effects of engineered oyster reefs on shoreline change using drones Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Coastal infrastructure and property, as well as intertidal wetlands, are increasingly being threatened by shoreline erosion; a consequence of human activities and climate change. Nature-based solutions, such as intertidal engineered oyster reefs, can reduce erosion and promote sediment accretion, thereby promoting the restoration and persistence of salt marshes and preventing the loss of coastal lands. Engineered oyster reef substrate and design options have rapidly expanded in the last decade, yet our understanding of how these approaches influence ecosystems and intertidal morphology is limited. Drones (or small uncrewed aerial systems [sUAS]) coupled with structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry have recently been suggested as a low-cost method that offers optimal spatial coverage, fine-scale resolution, and high vertical accuracy for monitoring changes around living shorelines. Grant no. NA23OAR4170122-T1-01