How Drone Technology Helped Monitor and Manage Coastal Erosion

drone services
Aerial Photography & Videography, Aerial Survey & Mapping, Environmental Survey
Renewable Energies

Project background

Cambridge Coastcare, a volunteer-based community organisation, manages a 4.8km stretch of coastline within the Town of Cambridge that includes the Perth metro region’s longest continuous area of natural coastal vegetation. This area, including Floreat Beach, faces significant dune erosion and has been designated a Coastal Erosion Hotspot by the Western Australia Government.

As part of the government’s recommendation to collect hotspot-specific data on local coastal dynamics, the project aimed to better understand sand movement, landform stability, and shoreline response. Key objectives included tracking erosion and accretion trends, assessing dune stabilisation treatments, and monitoring vegetation cover and human impact.

key challenges

Sensitive Environment

The coastline’s ecological significance required a low-impact monitoring approach.

Dynamic Conditions:

Constant sand movement and shifting landforms demanded accurate, repeatable seasonal data collection.

Urgency

With erosion risks increasing, timely and high-quality data was essential for decision making.

Our Solution

RemSense delivered a drone-based survey and mapping system designed for precision and repeatability:

Advanced UAV Technology: DJI M600 with PPK GPS and a SONY A7RII 42MP camera capture detailed imagery for seasonal analysis of sand movement, vegetation cover, and dune stability.
Geo-Tagging for Precision: All images were geo-tagged to enable precise comparison of changes over time.
Autonomous Flight Programming: Flights were set at 60m AGL and 9m/s to ensure consistent coverage across multiple survey periods.

Results

Operational Benefits:

Significantly reduced survey time
Minimal environmental disturbance

Data Quality & Outputs:

High-resolution datasets, LAS point clouds, DSMs, Orthomosaics, contour lines, 3D mesh models, and interactive map formats (HTML, KML)
Seasonal data comparisons for sand volume changes and vegetation growth

Impact:

Four aerial surveys over 12 months (spring 2018 to winter 2019)
Comprehensive evidence base for Cambridge Coastcare to plan, measure, and communicate coastal management efforts

By replacing traditional ground surveys with high-resolution UAV mapping, RemSense provided Cambridge Coastcare with non-invasive, repeatable, and comprehensive data. Over a 12-month period, this technology offered unprecedented insight into erosion patterns, vegetation recovery, and the effectiveness of dune stabilisation works. These insights now guide ongoing restoration and management strategies for one of Perth’s most significant stretches of coastline.

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