SeaBee Research Infrastructure contains many different pieces that require coordination and expert input to run smoothly and deliver quality data in a timely manner.
The SeaBee project has developed this infrastructure and with support from The Norwegian Research Council in the period 2020-2025 under project no. 296478. This year has been an important one, where SeaBee reached several significant achievements, undertook extensive field missions, and started using the SeaBee Data Pipeline.
With the new year approaching, we asked the experts, drone pilots and scientists involved in developing, testing and exploring use of the infrastructure, what they see as their favourite part of SeaBee Research Infrastructure.
The top mentions? The data, the support the infrastructure provides, and the people.
Hege Gundersen, co-project coordinator (NIVA) likes the colorful high-resolution maps of the coastal zone, because she is considering framing them and decorating the living room.
Kristina Øle Kvile, Data Validation lead and benthic habitat mapping task lead (NIVA) likes the field work, because it means working in beautiful surroundings with good people who give her inspiration and motivation to work with challenges in the coastal zone.
Karoline Slettebø, financial controller and SeaBee Shop coordinator (NIVA) appreciates the people working in SeaBee, and her favourite part is the technology. Using the equipment to support and expand our knowledge base and therefore gaining a better understanding with which we can deliver better advice [to decision-makers and society].
Anders G. Hagen, Drone Infrastructure Specification and Establishment lead (NIVA) has a twofold joy to SeaBee. He really enjoys and appreciate all the drones and equipment. But he also finds it really rewarding to attend meetings and see results of the drone use in the various SeaBee applications. The drones really satisfy certain “geeky genes” inside him, and the capability of the technology is impressive. It is very rewarding to be able to acquire and put in to use state of the art technology like this. It is very inspiring to see how spec´ing the drones and sensors leads to practical use and top-class data acquisition in the projects, and how the data subsequently leads to important decision-making and – hopefully – a better environment for us all!
Sindre Molværsmyr, lead of Seabird monitoring task (NINA) likes the high geographical precision achieved through Seabee and connected services, which have changed people’s mindset about how to work with seabirds, how to interact with colonies and given the opportunity to answer new questions.
Kim Leirvik, working with SeaBee data management (NIVA) likes the birds detected on Realfagstaket. He likes it because it shows the [SeaBee] dataflow and its quite fun to see Norge Regnesentral’s model (2022_nina_birds_20230817 is the name of the model) in action on a familiar location.
Marianne Johansen, Communication co-lead (GRID-A) likes that SeaBee as a whole provides detailed, accurate and specific environmental information about nature in the coastal zone and is enthusiastic about how it can be used for better management and protection of nature in the future.
Lorna Little, Communication lead (GRID-A) has two favourite pieces of SeaBee: the DJI Mavic drone AND the Class definitions used to annotate the drone images of habitats (on github). The drone is a favourite because it can be deployed from the pilot’s hand (so adaptable!) and the class definitions are because it is SO fascinating to see how we can categorise and break down beautiful images of the world into data!
Georgios Fylakis, working with Geostory creation (GRID-A) likes the fact that many different organizations work together to build a national infrastructure for drone data that can be used both now, and, in the future, to solve multiple environmental issues.
Arnt-Børre Salberg, Data Analysis lead (NR) likes the Geonode that the Data storage and sharing team has created, and how quickly one can navigate in the map.
Mari Solerød, working with communication (NIVA) really likes the high ambitions of the team for being visible and for showing off the excellence and the added value of the SeaBee infrastructure.
Lastly, from the SeaBee project coordinator, Kasper Hancke (NIVA),
whose favourite part of SeaBee is:
“The Team! The entire enthusiastic, skilled, smart, and hardworking SeaBee team! It gives me inspiration and belief in the future, which makes me want to throw a big party for everyone…!
