Category: Focus: Oceans
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Pilot View: Documenting Port Pollution in Southern California
Along the coast of Southern California lies the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, a maze of cargo ships, oil tankers, and infrastructure and one of the busiest gateways in the global supply chain. They’re also a source of emissions that contribute to climate change and local air quality impacts. Media partner Capital &…
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Studying Nutrient-Rich Runoff in Florida with Flight
When you think of Florida, you picture clear blue water stretching beyond sandy beaches. But from above, a different story is unfolding. Across Florida Bay, sediment plumes and algal blooms are spreading, changing the color, clarity, and health of these waters. Working alongside scientists from Florida International University, LightHawk took to the air to help…
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Protecting Bull Kelp in the San Juan Archipelago
LightHawk partnered with the Samish Indian Nation on a test flight to prepare for monthly aerial monitoring of bull kelp beds in the San Juan Archipelago. For the Samish Indian Nation, protecting these waters is both a cultural responsibility and a conservation priority. The Tribe combines traditional knowledge with modern science and works alongside state…
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Tracing the Causes of Algal Blooms in Florida Bay
Researchers survey Florida Bay from above, gaining a landscape-scale view of the waterways, mangroves and coastal systems that may be contributing to persistent algal blooms. Photo by Jay Apt/LightHawk. Earlier this year, Florida International University researchers partnered with LightHawk to gain a broader view of Florida Bay and better understand the changes reshaping the ecosystem.…
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Operation Abalone: Nearly 5,000 Take Flight
Nearly 5,000 endangered white abalone take flight on an important step toward returning to the wild. Raised by Bodega Marine Lab and NOAA partners, the abalone were transported by LightHawk volunteer pilot John Baker to Southern California, where The Bay Foundation will prepare them for release into coastal kelp forests. Credit: John Baker/LightHawk. Once abundant…