Victorian Coastal Monitoring Project nominated for Eureka Prize

Associate Professor David Kennedy leads a multi-agency group that is using commercial drone technology and volunteer pilots to map coastal erosion in 3D.

The Australian Museum (AM) Eureka Prizes are Australia’s leading science awards and are this year celebrating the 30th anniversary of the awards.

The team, comprising: the University of Melbourne; Deakin University; the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning; and Propeller Aerobotics has been nominated for the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science. A world-first initiative, the Victorian Coastal Monitoring Program is empowering local communities to predict how beaches respond to storms and rising sea levels. Using lightweight drones, citizen scientists produce 3D models that precisely measure shoreline change. The open-source data informs coastal management and policy decisions.

Visit the Eureka Prizes site for more details and to watch a video from the team.