Australia’s Great Barrier Reef used to be a symbol of the pristine beauty that the ocean offers, but now it represents the terrible mark that human-induced climate change is having on the world as half of the coral that made up the reef has died in the past couple years. Is there still hope? The answer is yes thanks to researchers at two Australian universities who have developed an underwater robot that could help turn the tide in the ongoing struggle to save at-risk reefs. The briefcase-size submersible is designed to move autonomously along damaged sections of reef, seeding them with hundreds of thousands of microscopic baby corals. These seeded specimens were derived from corals that survived the coral bleaching event of 2016-17, which are believed to be especially tolerant of warmer ocean temperatures. If the baby corals manage to take hold and grow, the researchers say they will eventually develop a fleet of submersibles that would be used to save reefs around the world.
How a robot could save Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
More of Today's Solutions
Earth Day at 56: why the 2026 theme carries more weight than usual
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On April 22, 1970, roughly 20 million Americans took to the streets, campuses, and parks to demand that ...
Read MoreWhat to actually eat after a workout, according to sports dietitians
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Anyone who has ever gone hard at the gym on a Monday and then struggled to get off ...
Read MoreWith limited cemetery space, tree burials are gaining popularity
Many people expect to be buried after their passing, but what happens when cities begin to run out of burial space? Cemetery space is ...
Read MoreThis ‘everlasting bubble’ could inspire future medicines
Bubbles spark human fascination, with children and adults everywhere becoming enamored when they see one of these fleeting structures. This interest also spreads into ...
Read More
