COTSbot, underwater robot, Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

The COTSbot (Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish robot) aims to be a revolutionary advancement in robotic environmental monitoring and management, specifically to increase the efficiency of Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) eradication. Integrating state-of-the-art robotic vision and classification algorithms with experience in, and technologies for, shallow coastal water robotic monitoring, COTSbot also aims to provide a flexible tool that empowers a range of stakeholders to scale current eradication programs and protection of reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef.

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This work presents a novel vision-based underwater robotic system for the identification and control of Crown-Of-Thorns starfish (COTS) in coral reef environments. COTS have been identified as one of the most significant threats to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. These starfish literally eat coral, impacting large areas of reef and the marine ecosystem that depends on it. Evidence has suggested that land-based nutrient runoff has accelerated recent outbreaks of COTS requiring extensive use of divers to manually inject biological agents into the starfish in an attempt to control population numbers. Facilitating this control program using robotics is the goal of our research.

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Crown-Of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) are described as one of the most significant threats to the Great Barrier Reef. Since the 1960's, land-based nutrient runoff has accelerated outbreaks of COTS which are destroying large areas of reef.

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This robot kills starfish to stop them from destroying the Great Barrier Reef

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Queensland University of Technology researchers have designed an autonomous robot that will cruise the Great Barrier Reef and inject the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish with a toxic solution. The starfish is no bigger than a dinner plate, but collectively it represents one of the biggest threats to the Great Barrier Reef, having already destroying approximately 40 per cent of the reef.

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Help us save the Great Barrier Reef. Your donation will support our research on containing the Crown of Thorns Starfish outbreaks that devastate the Reef: australianmuseum.net.au/help-the-reef

Since 1980, Australia's Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral. The main causes are storm damage and COTS. We can’t stop the storms, but we can promote coral recovery by containing COTS.

Further research is required on causal factors and methods of control. The Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station is ideally located for COTS research and has hosted significant discoveries, such as the new single-shot injection technique shown in the video above.

It is expensive to maintain first-rate marine research facilities on a remote tropical island. Visiting scientists contribute as much as they can afford, but the Station could not continue without the ongoing support of the Australian Museum and donors.

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Meet LarvalBot our new undersea robot giving nature a helping hand for November 2018's coral spawning on the Great Barrier Reef.
A key element of the winning project in the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s Out of the Blue Box Reef Innovation Challenge supported by The Tiffany & Co. Foundation.

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In a world first, an undersea robot has dispersed microscopic baby corals (coral larvae) to help scientists working to repopulate parts of the Great Barrier Reef during this year’s mass coral spawning event.

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