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Deep-Diving Robots Zap Invasive Lionfish


Claire.

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Deep-Diving Robots Zap, Kill Invasive Lionfish

The robotics company iRobot, known for creating the autonomous and endearing Roomba vacuums, is taking steps to make a clean sweep of lionfish in the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, with a robot designed to target and dispatch the invasive fish.

A diving robot will enable individuals on the ocean surface to remotely zap and kill lionfish with electrical charges. The effort is meant to help curb the fast-growing populations of these voracious predators, which are recognized by environmental officials as a serious threat to marine ecosystems in the western Atlantic.

Read more: Live Science

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Brilliant idea. Although the lionfish won't be shocked by their new 'predator' right away, eventually they will probably learn to recognize it.

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THe natural law of the oceans but of course the Snappers and Grouper is still fancied more on the dinner table ...

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1 minute ago, third_eye said:

THe natural law of the oceans but of course the Snappers and Grouper is still fancied more on the dinner table ...

Do you have any info on that video? Just curious if they're just having some fun feeding a happy little grouper or if they're wetting its appetite so that it eventually starts going after lionfish on its own.

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2 minutes ago, Zenith said:

Do you have any info on that video? Just curious if they're just having some fun feeding a happy little grouper or if they're wetting its appetite so that it eventually starts going after lionfish on its own.

The youtube page link

It has a few more examples of natural predator fishes on the lionfish ... I think I saw it first on some NatGeo documentary a few years back .. it was a surprise to the biologists as the native groupers and snappers learned how to flush the lionfish out of hiding into open waters to gobble it up .. as mentioned the lionfish being invasive and it did not take too long for the native predators to learn how to tackle the 'problem' which initially led to the mistaken notion that it has no natural predators ... but of course using robot is more profitable to some people ...

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Some early Forum discussions on the very topic ... Bonaire Talk Forum link

and some google resources ... link

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Happy hunting :)

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Thanks for the additional info, will take a look at it. Sure there's a profit to the robots, but I think they are also a good idea as it doesn't seem as though natural predators are keeping up. They're also talking about a specific region where lionfish don't seem to have many natural predators, and are not suggesting that it's he case everywhere. I just hope no other fish are harmed by it.

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Just now, Zenith said:

Thanks for the additional info, will take a look at it. Sure there's a profit to the robots, but I think they are also a good idea as it doesn't seem as though natural predators are keeping up. They're also talking about a specific region where lionfish don't seem to have many natural predators, and are not suggesting that it's he case everywhere. I just hope no other fish are harmed by it.

No worries ... thing is the dollar and cents makes no sense in regards to the robot solution ... the natural order of the eco system works out much better and more effective in the long run ... the natural predators are at it 24/7 and 365 days throughout their lifespans ... the thing is again profits ... snappers and groupers are high value ocean commodities ... more protection means less profits ...

Natural predators will fill in the gap where the lionfish is invasive .. that has been 'proven' ... the earlier debate about it being invasive in an area means it has no natural predators has been debunked ... the local predators will fill in the role and learn pretty quick on how to hunt it safely and effectively ~

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