Habitat mapping

Multispectral or hyperspectral imaging can be used to identify vegetation and substrate types.  ASL Borstad has long had a focus on environmental applications of aerial and satellite remote sensing.

(Thematic map of wetland habitat in the Fraser River estuary
from CASI multispectral aerial imagery.)

Stock assessment

Schooling fish such as herring or capelin can be seen and quantified from the air.  ASL Borstad’s CASI multispectral imager surveys large areas over a short period of time, providing a snapshot of school distribution and sizes.  Our custom software provides quantitative estimates of school sizes that can be used for stock assessment.

(Schooling Atlantic capelin in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland,
from airborne multispectral imagery)

Semi-automated enumeration

We have developed technology to directly detect and count whales and seals using high spatial resolution digital cameras carried in aircraft and helicopters.

(Harp seals near the Magdalen Islands, Quebec)

Population dynamics

In studies of Triangle Island seabirds, we have shown their breeding success to be related to food availability, which in turn is related to oceanographic conditions.  Analytical work of this type takes advantage of the image time series from ocean colour satellites.

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Sample papers on Biology and Wildlife