Coastal Habitat mapping using UAVs; a tool for enhanced Protected Area Management in the Buccoo Reef Marine Park, Tobago

The effective management of Marine Protected Areas requires the use of various tools to monitor and evaluate constantly changing coral reef, mangrove forest and seagrass environments. Tools such as field survey methods are time consuming while others such as satellite imagery can be costly to acquire and are subject to environmental conditions. The use of unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones provides an alternative and effective tool for habitat mapping in coastal environments. The aim of this study was to produce updated and accurate habitat maps for several critical areas in the Buccoo Reef Marine Park, Tobago using UAV imagery derived from a consumer grade DJI Mavic Mini. Using flight programming software DroneLink, aerial imagery of seven sites within the study area was acquired and orthomosaics were created using Agisoft software. Using visual interpretation protocols, key benthic habitats were identified, classified and compared with habitat classification derived from field survey methods. The results of an error matrix indicated an 89.7% overall accuracy rate for benthic maps produced from UAV imagery when compared with underwater field surveys. The results of this research should encourage the use of UAVs as a cost effective and efficient tool for habitat monitoring and conservation in Marine Protected Areas in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean Region. Additionally, habitat maps for these critical areas will be integrated into a wider project aimed at the development of a Marine Spatial Plan for the Buccoo Reef Marine Park. Keywords: Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); Marine Protected Areas; Tobago; habitat mapping; Marine Spatial Planning (MSP).