The Great Barrier Reef faces several threats, including warming ocean temperatures and overfishing, but researchers think they've created something that could offer the world's largest coral reef system some protection.
The RangerBot is an underwater drone the size of a briefcase, with a visual system that enables it to sidestep obstacles. With 99.4 percent accuracy, this autonomous device can identify crown-of-thorns starfish, which are covered with toxic spines. Because they can grow to the size of a manhole cover, these starfish are able to "devastate large tracts of reef," researcher Matthew Dunbabin said in a statement. Once the RangerBot confirms it has found a crown-of-thorns starfish, it can "instigate an injection which is fatal for the crown-of-thorns starfish but doesn't affect anything else on the reef."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Simulation theory: why The Matrix may be closer to fact than fictionThe Explainer Hypothesis that reality is an advanced super-computer simulation is backed by philosophers, scientists – and Elon Musk
-
The Zelensky Story: as 'astonishing as it is inspirational'The Week Recommends BBC Two's three-part documentary features 'genuinely revealing' interviews with the Ukrainian president
-
Why you need a pension to avoid 'retirement regret'The Explainer Millions could face a shortfall in their golden years by failing to save for their retirement
-
Amazon ending 'Just Walk Out' grocery checkoutSpeed Read In its place, the company will let customers scan while they shop with Amazon Dash Cart
-
Justice Department bites Apple with iPhone suitSpeed Read The lawsuit alleges that the tech company monopolized the smartphone industry
-
House votes to force TikTok to sell or face US banspeed read The House passed a bill to ban TikTok on national security grounds unless it sells to a non-Chinese company
-
Apple kills its secret electric car projectSpeed Read Many of the people from Project Titan are being reassigned to work on generative AI
-
Cellphone use may be lowering sperm countSpeed Read Electromagnetic radiation could be affecting male fertility
-
Nasa reveals first findings from asteroid that could explain origins of lifeSpeed Read Sample from Bennu has been found to contain an abundance of water and carbon
-
NYPD to monitor Labor Day parties using surveillance dronesSpeed Read
-
Elon Musk announces change to Twitter logoSpeed Read
