MRRI Drone Program
What We Do
MRRI Drone Program
Drones, also known as UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems), can access remote or hard-to-reach areas that may be difficult or impossible for humans to reach. This makes them uniquely suited for conducting tasks such as inspecting infrastructure, classifying land-use, or monitoring wildlife habitats with minimal disturbance. The Meadowlands Research & Restoration Institute (MRRI) uses drones to conduct aerial surveys & monitor various sites throughout the Hackensack Estuary, outputting imagery with extremely high spatial resolution.
MRRI currently operates 2 UAS platforms: a DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral & a DJI Mini 5 Pro. The Mavic 3 Multispectral platform utilizes both true color & multispectral sensors in conjunction with RTK GNSS receivers to ensure that the datasets MRRI outputs are highly detailed while maintaining the accuracy of their geographical location. The Mini 5 Pro platform provides MRRI with the ability to capture high-resolution pictures & videos documenting our work.
Drone data services provided to in-house departments & outside private parties include georeferenced panoramic & orthomosaic imagery acquisition (both true color & multispectral), 4k video production, land/plant cover measurements, plant health assessment, & both 2D/3D mapping & rendering. MRRI’s drone pilots are FAA part 107 sUAS certified. For inquiries regarding drone projects, please contact Sandy Speers via e-mail at [email protected] or by calling 201.460.2800.
NJSEA Drone Missions Application
As of August 2026, MRRI has amassed an inventory of over 180 drone maps, the oldest of which date back to October of 2017. This inventory is viewable to outside organizations & members of the general public via an application hosted on ArcGIS Online, which can be accessed through the link below. Through this application users can view the metadata corresponding to each flight in the inventory, preview low-resolution versions of each orthomosaic map, & send requests to MRRI’s drone team to acquire specific datasets. NJSEA Drone Missions Application.
Hackensack River -- Seasonal Water Quality Monitoring (7-22-2026)
On July 22nd, MRRI’s lab staff began their work collecting water samples from the Hackensack River for the 2026 summer season. This is a continuation of our seasonal water quality monitoring efforts which have been ongoing since 1993. Using our new DJI Mini 5 Pro, we were able to document this work from a brand-new perspective.
Mill Creek Marsh -- Mapping for Biofilm Assessment
For the purposes of studying biofilms that inhabit the mudflats found in wetlands across the Meadowlands, MRRI has been conducting seasonal drone flights over Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus. The true color & multispectral maps produced via these flights allow our researchers to quantify the extent of mudflats occupied by biofilms & analyze the spectral signatures of these populations. The insights gained from this data are integral to informing research which will further our understanding of these biofilm populations as well as how they interact with & impact the ecosystems they inhabit.
NJ Film Expo -- NJSEA Properties Showcase (4-30-2026)
In April of 2026 the 2nd annual NJ Film Expo was hosted by the Screen Alliance of New Jersey (SANJ) at the NJSEA’s Meadowlands Arena. The NJSEA is no stranger to the big screen, as the film and television industry has utilized some of the NJSEA’s properties as filming locations for decades. In order to promote our properties for further use in film, we utilized our inventory of drone footage collected over the years to create a compilation showcasing these sites. This compilation serves as a detailed preview providing potentially interested parties with an aerial perspective of our owned properties for their consideration.
River Barge Park -- Ice Damage Assessment (2-12-2026)
The winter season of late 2025 & early 2026 was particularly intense for much of northern New Jersey, & the Hackensack Meadowlands District was no exception. At the NJSEA’s River Barge Park in Carlstadt, the formation & movement of ice on the Hackensack River damaged one of the docks. MRRI staff were quickly able document this with our drone so that an assessment of the damage could take place & a plan to repair it could be formulated.
Anderson Creek Marsh – Sediment Trap Placement Inspection (4-24-2025)
MRRI is monitoring the contamination of sediment flowing into and out of wetlands via sediment traps created in-house. This image shows a post-retrieval inspection of the placement of the sediment trap mount along the thalweg of Anderson Creek Marsh in Secaucus, NJ.
1E Landfill – Brushfire Flight (3-18-2025)
In early March of 2025 a brushfire broke out on the southeastern portion of the 1E landfill located in Kearny, NJ. MRRI was able to conduct a mapping flight over the burnt area in order to estimate the total area burned by the fire.
