Marine Debris UAS Survey

GhostNet project - In 2001, ATI received a NASA grant to address the issue of derelict fishing gear in the North Pacific using remote sensing technologies. ATI put together a team consisting of government, academia and industry. The team included NOAA NESDIS, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Services and NOAA Environmental Technology Lab as well as a group from the University of Southern California and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In brief, we are using ocean models (e.g. Ocean Surface Current Simulations � OSCURS) to analyze the North Pacific and find areas of expected convergence. Then, through the help of NOAA NESDIS, satellite data is examined in the specified areas for signs of actual convergence. Sustained convergence areas are tracked daily and the information is used to direct an aerial search by aircraft. Both ATI and NOAA ESRL worked together to design and build an automatic anomaly detection system, which utilizes airborne remote sensing equipment and ATI�s proprietary software to identify and record anomalies in the ocean. High-resolution imagery is automatically taken of each anomaly and available for immediate analysis by the system operator on board the aircraft as well as personnel linked to the aircraft via Internet connection. During March-April of 2005, we flew a NOAA P3 aircraft into the Sub Tropical Convergence Zone north of Hawaii. We successfully located and identified marine debris fields including over 2000 individual debris items and nets.