Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi drone program supports Padre Island National Seashore

When park staff looked to the sky Thursday morning at Bird Island Basin, they had their eyes on a drone.

The National Park Service does not typically allow drones, but Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft System Center for Excellence and Innovation recently received a federal research permit allowing the team to conduct drone studies along the Padre Island National Seashore.

Thursday morning, the center's second visit to the national seashore, was focused on testing equipment and mapping Bird Island Basin. But one of the main goals of the center is to help support the seashore's sea turtle program and its efforts to monitor and rescue cold-stunned turtles.

"One of the main things this permit is about is the recovery of cold-stunned turtles during the cold-stun season," Padre Island National Seashore public information officer Kelly Taylor said. "But there are so many applications for drone work."

The center also hopes to help the national seashore team's efforts related to beach erosion, wildlife management, search and rescue and finding trash.

"The permit that we've got allows us to work through the entire park," assistant director of operations, test and evaluation Tye Payne said.

Payne said that there are opportunities for drone missions in areas that aren't easily accessible by vehicle. Taylor added that drones can also be an important tool for mapping sensitive areas without disturbing the environment.

"This is huge for us because of the fact that Lone Star is a center of excellence," Taylor said. "They could have their pick of who they work with... but they chose to stay in their own backyard and work here at Padre Island National Seashore."

In the past, the national seashore has also used drones to monitor prescribed burns.

Securing the permit took about a year of coordination, Payne said.

"We're helping out the community we live in," Payne said. "This (the national seashore) is one of the jewels of the Gulf Coast area."

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: A&M-Corpus Christi receives permit for drone work at national seashore