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Thermal Eye in the Sky

March 31, 2017

WHOI postdoctoral investigator Erika Johnson prepares to launch an aerial drone to survey the Coonamessett River in Falmouth, Mass. With its thermal camera, the drone can identify potential groundwater springs—which remain a relatively constant 55.5°F (13°C) year-round—that may serve as havens for migrating fish, such as river herring. The survey was funded by the Coonamessett River Trust to locate zones of groundwater discharge to the river in advance of a river restoration effort beginning this year. Matt Charette, the incoming director of Woods Hole Sea Grant, also participated and hopes to incorporate the technology into future research projects that support the program’s mission of encouraging environmental stewardship and sustainable fisheries. (Photo by Erin Koenig, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)