Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor: A Case Study from Derrymore Island

Sagar Dalai; Marco Moreno; Mahammad Irfan; Adam Dooley; Thomas Newe; Gerard Dooly; Eoin O'connell

doi:10.1109/ISSC67739.2025.11291396

Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor: A Case Study from Derrymore Island

Sagar Dalai
, Marco Moreno
, Mahammad Irfan
, Adam Dooley
, Thomas Newe
, Gerard Dooly
, Eoin O'connell

University of Limerick

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Saltmarshes are critical coastal ecosystems that offer biodiversity, shoreline protection, and high carbon sequestration. Monitoring these habitats is essential but challenging because of their spatial complexity and sensitivity. This paper presents a Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV) based hyperspectral survey conducted over Derrymore Saltmarsh, County Kerry, Ireland, using a DJI Matrice 300 drone equipped with a Resonon Pika-L hyperspectral imager. We demonstrate the effectiveness of hyperspectral data and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classification for identifying key saltmarsh vegetation species. Field data from vegetation quadrats were used for validation. Our results highlight the potential of UAV and HSI integration in supporting ecological research, improving habitat mapping accuracy, and enabling scalable, nondestructive monitoring.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Irish Signals and Systems Conference
Subtitle of host publication	Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
ISBN (Electronic)	9798331575939
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ISSC67739.2025.11291396
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	35th Irish Signals and Systems Conference, ISSC 2025 - Letterkenny, Ireland Duration: 9 Jun 2025 → 10 Jun 2025

Publication series

Name	Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025

Conference

Conference	35th Irish Signals and Systems Conference, ISSC 2025
Country/Territory	Ireland
City	Letterkenny
Period	9/06/25 → 10/06/25

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water

Keywords

Hyperspectral Imaging
Remote Sensing
SaltMarsh
Spectral Angle Mapper
UAV

Access to Document

10.1109/ISSC67739.2025.11291396

Cite this

Dalai, S., Moreno, M., Irfan, M., Dooley, A., Newe, T., Dooly, G., & O'connell, E. (2025). Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor: A Case Study from Derrymore Island. In Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025 (Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISSC67739.2025.11291396

Dalai, Sagar ; Moreno, Marco ; Irfan, Mahammad et al. / Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor : A Case Study from Derrymore Island. Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025. (Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025).

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title = "Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor: A Case Study from Derrymore Island",

abstract = "Saltmarshes are critical coastal ecosystems that offer biodiversity, shoreline protection, and high carbon sequestration. Monitoring these habitats is essential but challenging because of their spatial complexity and sensitivity. This paper presents a Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV) based hyperspectral survey conducted over Derrymore Saltmarsh, County Kerry, Ireland, using a DJI Matrice 300 drone equipped with a Resonon Pika-L hyperspectral imager. We demonstrate the effectiveness of hyperspectral data and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classification for identifying key saltmarsh vegetation species. Field data from vegetation quadrats were used for validation. Our results highlight the potential of UAV and HSI integration in supporting ecological research, improving habitat mapping accuracy, and enabling scalable, nondestructive monitoring.",

keywords = "Hyperspectral Imaging, Remote Sensing, SaltMarsh, Spectral Angle Mapper, UAV",

author = "Sagar Dalai and Marco Moreno and Mahammad Irfan and Adam Dooley and Thomas Newe and Gerard Dooly and Eoin O'connell",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 IEEE.; 35th Irish Signals and Systems Conference, ISSC 2025 ; Conference date: 09-06-2025 Through 10-06-2025",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/ISSC67739.2025.11291396",

language = "English",

series = "Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

booktitle = "Irish Signals and Systems Conference",

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Dalai, S, Moreno, M, Irfan, M, Dooley, A, Newe, T , Dooly, G & O'connell, E 2025, Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor: A Case Study from Derrymore Island. in Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025. Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 35th Irish Signals and Systems Conference, ISSC 2025, Letterkenny, Ireland, 9/06/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISSC67739.2025.11291396

Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor: A Case Study from Derrymore Island. / Dalai, Sagar; Moreno, Marco; Irfan, Mahammad et al.
Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025. (Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor

T2 - 35th Irish Signals and Systems Conference, ISSC 2025

AU - Dalai, Sagar

AU - Moreno, Marco

AU - Irfan, Mahammad

AU - Dooley, Adam

AU - Newe, Thomas

AU - Dooly, Gerard

AU - O'connell, Eoin

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Saltmarshes are critical coastal ecosystems that offer biodiversity, shoreline protection, and high carbon sequestration. Monitoring these habitats is essential but challenging because of their spatial complexity and sensitivity. This paper presents a Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV) based hyperspectral survey conducted over Derrymore Saltmarsh, County Kerry, Ireland, using a DJI Matrice 300 drone equipped with a Resonon Pika-L hyperspectral imager. We demonstrate the effectiveness of hyperspectral data and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classification for identifying key saltmarsh vegetation species. Field data from vegetation quadrats were used for validation. Our results highlight the potential of UAV and HSI integration in supporting ecological research, improving habitat mapping accuracy, and enabling scalable, nondestructive monitoring.

AB - Saltmarshes are critical coastal ecosystems that offer biodiversity, shoreline protection, and high carbon sequestration. Monitoring these habitats is essential but challenging because of their spatial complexity and sensitivity. This paper presents a Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV) based hyperspectral survey conducted over Derrymore Saltmarsh, County Kerry, Ireland, using a DJI Matrice 300 drone equipped with a Resonon Pika-L hyperspectral imager. We demonstrate the effectiveness of hyperspectral data and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classification for identifying key saltmarsh vegetation species. Field data from vegetation quadrats were used for validation. Our results highlight the potential of UAV and HSI integration in supporting ecological research, improving habitat mapping accuracy, and enabling scalable, nondestructive monitoring.

KW - Hyperspectral Imaging

KW - Remote Sensing

KW - SaltMarsh

KW - Spectral Angle Mapper

KW - UAV

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:105032425576

T3 - Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025

BT - Irish Signals and Systems Conference

PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

Y2 - 9 June 2025 through 10 June 2025

ER -

Dalai S, Moreno M, Irfan M, Dooley A, Newe T , Dooly G et al. Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor: A Case Study from Derrymore Island. In Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2025. (Irish Signals and Systems Conference: Signalling our Strength, ISSC 2025). doi: 10.1109/ISSC67739.2025.11291396

Enhancing Saltmarsh Monitoring Using UAV Based Hyperspectral Imaging Sensor: A Case Study from Derrymore Island

Abstract

Publication series

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UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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