Fraser River Airborne Surveys - 2021 - Hakai Airborne Coastal Observatory

Airborne Lidar and Imagery data continued to be collected by the ACO in 2021, in partnership with Dr. Jeremy Venditti (SFU) and Dr. Brian Menounos (UNBC, Hakai Institute). The goal of this data is to inventory and characterize the terrain throughout the Fraser River system to look at contemporary and historical landslide impact on flow dynamics, fish migration, and genetics of Fraser River Salmon. This work was underscored on November 1st, 2018 by the Big Bar Landslide, which partly blocked the Fraser River, creating a hydraulic barrier to salmon passage at moderate to high flows and significantly impeded salmon migration to the upper Fraser Basin. Lidar data (LAZ)- classified point cloud – digital surface model – digital terrain model. Image data (TIFF) – 4 band orthophotos – RGB & NIR. Hyperspectral data (not always captured). A detailed project report with a summary of acquisition, processing, and overall hardware/software is available (PDF). Sensors and instrument breakdown: Inertial Navigation System: Manufacturer: Applanix (Canada), IMU Model: POS AV 510 IMAR, GNSS Model: Trimble AV39. Laser sensor: Riegl LMS-Q 780 long-range airborne laser scanner. Point density ranges per project and landscape from 1-12 points per square meter. Aerial cameras: two fully integrated Phaseone Industrial iXU-RS1000 medium format cameras, resolution: 100MP, lens: 50mm f/4.0 Rodenstock. Hyperspectral Sensor: manufacturer: Specim, model: AisaFENIX 384, spectral range: 380 - 2500 nm

The Airborne Coastal Observatory (ACO) is a collaborative program led by the Hakai Institute with partners from the University of Northern British Columbia and Kisik Aerial Surveying. The program offers rapid and accurate aerial observations of coastal ecosystems, from Icefields to Oceans. A Kisik Aerial Piper Navajo aircraft is packed with an array of integrated Earth imaging sensors and technology to provide highly visual and highly accurate data. The ACO is an aerial remote sensing platform used by the Hakai Institute to survey landscapes in detail. A Piper Navajo aircraft carries an array of integrated airborne mapping sensors installed to collect data in concert. The aircraft is operated and maintained by Kisik Aerial Surveys (Delta, BC).