Underwater robots, often referred to as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), play a crucial role in marine research, particularly concerning coral reefs. Underwater robots can capture high-resolution images and videos of coral reefs, allowing researchers to monitor their health and identify issues such as bleaching, disease, or damage from human activity.

ROVs and AUVs equipped with sonar and imaging technology can create detailed maps of coral reef structures, helping scientists understand their distribution, complexity, and changes over time. Our main interest is in these robots’ capabilities to collect various types of data, including water quality measurements (temperature, salinity, pH), which are essential for assessing the environmental conditions affecting coral ecosystems. Underwater robots can help detect and monitor invasive species that threaten coral ecosystems, enabling timely interventions. ROVs can be utilized together with AI algorithms to provide automated surveying to streamline the process of analyzing survey data from ROVs and divers, automating the detection of changes in coral cover, diversity, and overall health, thus saving time and resources.

They assist in research initiatives aimed at coral restoration, including the transplantation of coral fragments and the assessment of restoration site success. By utilizing robots for research instead of divers, the disturbance to delicate coral environments can be minimized.