University of Washington Marine Landscape Ecology Lab
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uwmlel.bsky.social
University of Washington Marine Landscape Ecology Lab
@uwmlel.bsky.social
560 followers 180 following 48 posts
The Marine Landscape Ecology Lab is part of the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. We use drones, GIS, and image analysis to study the marine environment. https://sites.uw.edu/marlel/
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uwmlel.bsky.social
Closed out the Western Society of Naturalists meeting with talks about our drone work involving sharks and pinnipeds as well as studies of the rocky intertidal. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social
November 10, 2025 at 8:54 PM
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Day 1 of the Western Society of Naturalists meeting feature talks by graduate students Taylor Trivino & Olivia Bible on MPA efficacy & drone monitoring of the intertidal. More talks from the lab tomorrow. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social #drones
Student talking about MPAs. Student talking about MPAs. Student talking about drones. Student talking about drones.
November 8, 2025 at 1:14 AM
uwmlel.bsky.social
Our MLEL team is in San Diego this week at the annual meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists. Come check out our team’s presentations this week. @uwenvironment.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social #drone #drones
November 6, 2025 at 7:20 PM
uwmlel.bsky.social
Happening today, 10-11-25 from 5-10 PM. Meet our Monterey White Sharks Research team @ Other Brother Beer in Seaside. Learn about their cool research & see a screening of their new film. @mbarinews.bsky.social @misselasmo.bsky.social @oceansolutions.stanford.edu @montereybayaquarium.org
Flyer for Sharktober event on October 11 from 5 to 10 PM at Other Brother Beer in Seaside, California. Meet the Monterey White Sharks research team, hear about their research and see a screening of their new film. One dollar for every pint sold supports local research.
October 11, 2025 at 7:16 PM
uwmlel.bsky.social
Our drone team recently returned from a survey trip where they captured this large sea lion haul out on San Carlos Beach; a popular dive spot in Monterey. The beach was the scene of a similar large haul out at the same time last year. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social #drones
Aerial view of sea lions on a beach. Aerial view of sea lions on a beach. Aerial view of sea lions on a beach. Aerial view of sea lions on a beach.
September 4, 2025 at 10:12 PM
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Our drone team recently completed offshore drone surveys with colleagues from @mbarinews.bsky.social Conducted as part of the Synchro program the team is testing how emerging marine technologies can be used to study pelagic systems. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social
Graduate student catching a drone while on a boat. Photo: 2025 @MBARI Alexandra Boutros. Student unpacking a drone on a boat. Photo: 2025 @MBARI Alexandra Boutros. Scientist deploying an eDNA sampler into the water. Photo: 2025 @MBARI Alexandra Boutros. Scientist deploying an aerial eDNA sampler at the top of a boat. Photo: 2025 @MBARI Alexandra Boutros.
August 13, 2025 at 8:30 PM
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This week our team is @ Friday Harbor Labs conducting drone surveys of intertidal habitat for colleagues from @ucscscience.bsky.social as part of an @waseagrant.bsky.social project. Our team wraps up work tomorrow. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social
The docks at Friday Harbor Labs. A student holding a drone while standing on a boat at sea. Screenshot of an automated flight plan on the screen of a drone remote control. Aerial shot of the rocky intertidal.
August 7, 2025 at 8:10 PM
uwmlel.bsky.social
Our lab recently hosted @science.ubc.ca undergrad Mika Raring for a three week internship at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. She learned how to use drones to survey intertidal systems & machine learning to analyze drone images. She presented her work at the summer research symposium at Bamfield.
Photomosaic of a rocky intertidal community. Image of student presenting a talk. Machine learning classified photomosaic. Photo of two people flying a drone.
August 6, 2025 at 3:47 PM
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Now that drone flights are complete our team is processing their intertidal imagery from B.C. into 3D models of their sites. These models will help the team understand how 3D complexity in the intertidal affects species distribution & abundance. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social
3D model of rocky intertidal habitat. 3D model of rocky intertidal habitat. 3D model of rocky intertidal habitat. 3D model of rocky intertidal habitat.
July 31, 2025 at 7:55 PM
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Our team knows how to work quickly in the field. 😉 This time lapse shows the process of our team installing wave force dynamometers at one of our sites. The instrument locations will be mapped with drones with the data helping characterize the physical environment at our sites. @uwsafs.bsky.social
July 28, 2025 at 3:17 PM
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Today’s update from the field. Members of our drone team recently returned from the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge where they worked with @pointblue.bsky.social to test using drones for wildlife surveys. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social
Map of the Farallon Island refuge. Zoom in of Farallon Island with birds and sea lions visible. Zoom in of island showing sea bird colonies. Aerial view of people standing next to a drone landing pad.
July 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
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While part of our drone team has been in British Columbia other members of the lab have been mapping oyster beds in Puget Sound. Working with the Pacific Shellfish Institute our team is testing methods of using drones to support shellfish aquaculture. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social
Picture of drone flying over an oyster beds. Picture of oysters. Aerial map of oyster beds in Puget Sound. Picture of people in the field flying a drone.
July 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
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Our drone team has lots of interesting encounters when they are out in the field. This past weekend they encountered a black bear foraging at one of the rocky intertidal sites that they survey in British Columbia. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social
July 14, 2025 at 4:16 PM
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Our drone team has been busy conducting drone surveys of the rocky intertidal in British Columbia the past two days. They are back at it tomorrow. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social #drone #drones #dronescience
Photo of a student holding a drone while seated on a boat. Photo of a drone flying over a rocky intertidal community. Photo of a person flying a drone while seated on a boat. Photo of the intertidal from the air with a large algal bloom visible in the water.
July 10, 2025 at 8:25 PM
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One challenge our team encounters in image analysis is detecting species that blend into their environment (image 1). Thermal images (image 2) can help highlight animals that might get overlooked in a standard image. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social
Standard aerial image of an offshore sea lion haul out site with sea lions camouflaged in the environment. Thermal image of the same off shore haul out site where sea lions and birds not seen in the first picture are now easily seen.
July 3, 2025 at 8:57 PM
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Part of our drone team arrived at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre in B.C., Canada where they will conduct drone surveys of long term intertidal study sites. The will be in Bamfield all of July. @uwenvironment.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social
Front entrance of Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. View of research boats moored at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Sign for Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Evening view of Barkeley Sound.
July 1, 2025 at 6:50 PM
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Our MLEL drone team spent this past Saturday at the @uwsafs.bsky.social open house introducing members of the public to our drone program. Check out a few photos from the event. @uwenvironment.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social #drone #drones
Display table with drones and a computer monitor. Members of the lab talking to the public A banner announcing the Fisheries open house. A drone sitting on top of a table.
May 19, 2025 at 8:10 PM
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Happy Earth Day from the MLEL team. #EarthDay2025 @uwenvironment.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social
Mosaic of photos from the coast for Earth Day posting.
April 22, 2025 at 8:03 PM
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Sea landings can be tricky, often requiring hand catches. Here, grad student Taylor Trivino demonstrates hand catching a drone while wearing a work helmet, safety glasses, gloves & a PFD. When hand catching a drone it’s important to wear safety gear. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social
April 19, 2025 at 12:21 AM
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Our MLEL drone team spent the day out at sea with colleagues from @mbarinews.bsky.social @stanfordwoods.bsky.social & Moss Landing Marine Labs testing new research technologies including drones & eDNA. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social
April 18, 2025 at 2:18 AM
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The MLEL drone team wrapped up a busy few days of surveying the intertidal @uscwrigley.usc.edu on Catalina Island. They head back to the mainland today before heading back to Seattle tomorrow. @uwenvironment.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social #drone #drones
February 28, 2025 at 10:22 PM
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Coming in for another happy landing @uscwrigley.usc.edu on Catalina Island. @uwenvironment.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social #drone #drones
February 28, 2025 at 7:10 PM
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This week the MLEL drone team is @uscwrigley.usc.edu on Catalina Island where they are continuing long term surveys of rocky intertidal communities around the lab. @uwenvironment.bsky.social @uwsafs.bsky.social #drone #drones
February 26, 2025 at 11:36 PM
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We are now accepting applications for our MLEL summer drone internship. Applicants should be a current UW undergrad majoring in a STEM discipline. Apps due Feb 21. See the flyer or link below for details. @uwsafs.bsky.social @undergradresearch.bsky.social sites.uw.edu/marlel/oppor...
Flyer describing summer intern opportunity with the U Washington marine landscape ecology drone team. Applicants should be current U Washington undergraduates enrolled in a STEM major. Position runs June-August of 2025 and pays $6,000 for the summer. Click on the following link for additional details https://sites.uw.edu/marlel/opportunities/
January 31, 2025 at 9:27 PM
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Our drone team spent the past week conducting drone surveys of pinniped populations in Central California. The data will inform work looking to better understand the relationship between pinnipeds & white sharks. www.montereybaywhitesharks.org @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social
January 25, 2025 at 8:43 PM