Drone Coastal and Marine Assessment

Published evidence showing how drones monitor shoreline erosion, reef health and marine infrastructure - delivering repeatable data at afraction of traditional survey costs

AT A GLANCE

SERVICE

Coastal &  Marine Assessments

INDUSTRIES

Marine &  Coastal, Environmental Services, Infrastructure

REGIONS

Gold Coast,  South East Queensland, Great Barrier Reef catchment

TECHNOLOGY

DJI Matrice 4T  - RGB, Thermal, 3D Photogrammetry

4.8km

Coastline Mapped (Cambridge)

Seasonal

Repeatable Comparisons

cm-level

Sand Volume Accuracy

Zero

Habitat Disturbance

⚡  KEY TAKEAWAY

Drone surveys  map entire coastlines in hours with centimetre accuracy, enabling seasonal  change detection for erosion, sand movement, and vegetation cover - without  disturbing sensitive habitats.

WHYCOASTAL MONITORING NEEDS BETTER TOOLS

Coastal environments change constantly. Erosion, sand movement,vegetation loss, and storm damage require regular monitoring to informmanagement decisions. Traditional methods - ground surveys, boat-based inspection, and satellite imagery - are either too slow, too low-resolution, ortoo disruptive to sensitive ecosystems.

Drones offer a non-invasive, high-resolution alternative thatcan cover kilometres of coastline in a single flight, capturing data thatenables precise seasonal comparisons.

THEEVIDENCE: PUBLISHED RESULTS

RemSense, a Western Australian drone survey company, documenteda comprehensive coastal erosion monitoring programme for Cambridge Coastcarealong a 4.8km stretch of coastline designated as a Coastal Erosion Hotspot bythe WA Government. Using a DJI M600 with PPK GPS and a 42MP camera at 60m altitude, they delivered seasonal datasets including LAS point clouds, digitalsurface models, orthomosaics, contour lines, 3D mesh models, and interactivemaps. The data enabled precise tracking of sand volume changes, vegetationgrowth, and dune stability across multiple survey periods. [1]

HANA Resources documented how drone technology is being used tomap shoreline changes and vegetation in the US Outer Banks coastal resilienceprogramme. Drones provided aerial perspectives that identified areas of reducedvegetation health, guided targeted restoration efforts, and enabled monitoringof marshland habitats that were otherwise difficult to access. [2]

Airbourn Insight, an Australian drone environmental monitoringcompany, provides coastal erosion and sedimentation mapping services usinghigh-resolution aerial surveys. Their services support assessment of erosionrates, identification of vulnerable areas, and development of coastalmanagement strategies for government and environmental organisations. [3]

🌊   AUSTRALIAN RELEVANCE

The Gold Coast and South East Queensland coastline faces persistent erosion pressure from storm events, king tides, and sand movement. The QLD Government identifies  multiple coastal erosion hotspots requiring regular monitoring data to inform  management decisions.

WHATDRONE COASTAL ASSESSMENT DELIVERS

•  Shoreline erosion mapping - centimetre-accurate measurements ofsand loss and accretion over time [1]

•  Dune stability assessment - 3D models track dune profile changesbetween seasonal surveys [1]

•  Vegetation cover monitoring - track revegetation success andidentify areas of dieback or degradation [2]

•  Reef and marine habitat health - high-resolution imagery forcoral coverage, bleaching, and seagrass mapping

•  Marine infrastructure condition - jetties, seawalls, andbreakwater structures assessed visually and thermally

•  Storm damage assessment - rapid post-event surveys forinsurance, council, and emergency management purposes

HOWALTIMAR SOLUTIONS DELIVERS THIS

Altimar Solutions provides scheduled coastal and marine assessment using a DJI Matrice 4T, delivering:

•  High-resolution RGB imagery and 3D photogrammetry for shorelineerosion tracking and volumetric analysis

•  Thermal imaging for marine infrastructure condition assessmentand water temperature mapping

•  Seasonal or quarterly monitoring programmes withchange-detection analysis between surveys

•  Deliverables via the Altimar IQ dashboard (iq.altimar.com.au)including orthomosaics, 3D models, contour maps and trend reports

•  Low-impact data collection with zero habitat disturbance - critical for sensitive marine and coastal environments

SOURCES & REFERENCES

[1]  RemSense - Coastal Erosion MonitoringCase Study (Cambridge Coastcare, 4.8km, WA)

https://remsense.com.au/case-studies/coastal-erosion-monitoring

[2]  HANA Resources - How Ecosystem &Habitat Restoration Use Drones (Outer Banks, USA)

https://hanaresources.com/resources/drone-ecosystem-habitat-restoration/

[3]  Airbourn Insight - Drone-BasedEnvironmental Monitoring (Coastal Erosion Services, Australia)

https://airborninsight.com.au/drone-based-environmental-monitoring/

Want to see what this technology could find on your asset?

Altimar Solutions provides drone-based aerial intelligence for commercial and industrial buildings, environmental sites, and coastal areas across South East Queensland and Victoria. We use a DJI Matrice 4T withthermal, zoom and 3D mapping to help you detect problems before they becomeemergencies.

Book a free 15-minute consultation  → info@altimar.com.au

altimar.com.au  |  iq.altimar.com.au

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