Protecting our Global Waterways Using Drones
3D Robotics
December 20th, 2013 by Sue Rosenstock
Patrick Rynne has a passion for marine physics. A PhD student at the University of Miami in the field of applied marine physics, Patrick co-founded nonprofit Waterlust in 2011 with Fiona Graham, a fellow graduate student in Marine Affairs and Policy who studies shark conservation, to help foster appreciation for the marine world through film.
Waterlust has three main areas of focus: marine science, sport and art. “Our view is that if you can get people to think, that thinking can lead to increased awareness and behavioral change,” said Patrick.
It was a passion for film that led Patrick and Fiona to reach out to 3D Robotics. They wanted to experiment with the use of drones to capture aerial imagery of coastal waterways. The experiment was so successful that they have now incorporated UAV technology into their research. This includes participation in the Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment (CARTHE), a multi-million dollar research effort funded by BP, based out of the University of Miami.