The use of LiDAR technology to precisely estimate the volume and biomass of submerged vegetation (seagrass, macroalgae, etc.) in the coastal zone. Carbon stock can be estimated. Compared to other drone products that are using RGB and MSI sensors (see IP-1 and IP-2), LiDAR's can deliver volume data of vegetation from distribution and canopy height. Going from 2D (see IP-4) to 3D gives a more detailed and accurat estimat of the above-ground carbon stock of important species and habitat types, such as seagrass meadows, macroalgae beds, and kelp forests. The volume of these habitats are also tightly correlated to other ecosystem services, such as coastal protection and biodiversity. The code repository is here: https://github.com/charles-patrick-lavin/NIVA-SeaBee-LiDAR
Lavin C, Buls T, Gundersen H, Kvile KØ, Ødegaard ØT, Poulsen RN, Hancke K. High-resolution three-dimensional mapping of eelgrass (Zostera marina) habitat and blue carbon using drone-borne LiDAR. Ecosystems. Preprint doi: 10.1101/2025.08.12.669815