Researchers Develop Drone-based System to Detect Marine Debris, Expedite Clean Up

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Oregon State University, and their partners are developing a drone-based, machine learning system to detect and identify marine debris along the coast. In December 2021, the researchers used beaches near Corpus Christi, Texas, to evaluate devices for the system and refine detection methods. Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is a global problem that threatens the environment, navigation safety, coastal economies, and, potentially, human health. Detecting and identifying debris quickly and accurately is key to cleanup and response actions that can prevent these impacts. Unmanned Aerial Systems, or drones, offer this capability. Polarized light reflected from human-made objects often differs from natural objects, such as vegetation, soil, and rocks. Installing a polarimetric camera on a drone could improve debris detection from the air. The researchers tested such a camera, both on the ground, and, with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard, from