Alimosphere
Protecting Ocean Heritage By: Chelsé Craig Alicia Amerson (BS 02) has always loved science. As a
“The drones are being used to detect marine debris,
child, she read every book in her elementary school’s
monitor sea level rise and beach erosion, track
library that had anything to do with marine life. She
movement of sediment in watersheds and estuaries,
found herself drawn to some of the largest animals
count bird nests, and monitor ship traffic.
ever to live on Earth, baleen whales. However, it wasn’t Alimosphere has partnered with several non-profits to until she met Dr. Manuel Varela, an ENMU biology conduct their research, and Alicia released her book, professor, that she truly believed she could succeed.
titled “Six-Word Lessons for Drone Pilots and Outdoor
“He has an ability to make students feel like they’ve
Enthusiasts: 100 Lessons to Make Drone Flights Safe,
climbed Mount Everest at the end of a semester and
Ethical and Green for Wildlife and Humans.” She is
become friends with every bacteria and virus on the
also working to support women in the drone industry.
way up!” Alicia praised.
Alimosphere recently worked with the Women and
Alicia earned her master’s degree in marine biodiversity Drones organization to promote STEM for younger girls and conservation at Scripps Institute of Oceanography and mentor women business owners in the trade. in San Diego, California. While on a boat in Dana Point,
“Being a drone pilot is more than just flying a drone,”
she noticed a seagull flying over a whale. However,
she said. “We have changed the way nature looks. We’ve
when she looked through her camera, she saw it was
built towns and cities and drone images capture our
actually a drone. Drones, also called unmanned aerial
imagination. Now we must also use this knowledge
vehicles (UAVs), have become popular over the years,
to protect what is left of the wilderness and wildlife
but they can have adverse effects on wildlife.
habitats around the world,” Alicia said. “I truly believe as
Alicia created Alimosphere, a marine wildlife UAS task
individuals we can make a difference in the world.”
force, to help UAV pilots create flight plans that benefit humanity and respect wildlife. Designing responsible practices in the drone industry, she hopes to protect seabirds nesting on the shoreline, seals and sea lions pupping on beaches, and larger marine wildlife found in the pelagic ocean habitat (near the ocean’s surface). “We want drone pilots to think not only about the airspace regulations, but also about the wildlife that may be impacted from their flight operations.” A drone pilot might think their one action doesn’t account for much, but they don’t know if someone flew before them, nor if someone will fly after. In reality, it’s the accumulation of those small impacts that have severe effects on the populations. While some animals may not outwardly show signs of stress, physiological stress may also be induced as a result of drone flight. Alimosphere focuses on integrating drone technology into new applications for marine research. “There are many innovative ways drones are collecting data for researchers such as large whale body condition, collecting whale mucus, assessing population abundance, and assisting in entanglement response,” Alicia said. Photo by: Ben VanderGriend
8
Green & Silver | August 2018
